‘Fear the Walking Dead’ Loses A Vital Player And Gains New Characters

As Fear the Walking Dead heads into its third season, changes behind the camera as well as in the cast will undoubtedly change the future and direction of the series, which has long been criticized by fans of the prime The Walking Dead series for failing to keep their interest. News that Fear the Walking Dead is losing a key player, perhaps the most important decision maker in outlining the direction of the series, may result in a higher level of action and suspense in the long run. Even as AMC shares the news that Fear the Walking Dead has lost its showrunner, news of a new character suggests the spin-off series may be reinvigorated by more new blood.

David Erickson may have helped Robert Kirkman create and develop Fear the Walking Dead, but that doesn’t mean he’s as invested in the progression of the series throughout its run. In fact, The Hollywood Reporter shares that Erickson has stepped down and, although he will continue as the showrunner through Season 3, Fear the Walking Dead will have to find a new head, before Season 4 goes into production.

While Fear the Walking Dead fans may lament the loss of David’s insight, the move is a step up for Erikson, who will now have a stronger voice as he becomes responsible for developing new shows for AMC and its affiliates.

Joel Stillerman, who serves as the AMC and Sundance TV president of original programming, has issued a statement expressing the network’s gratitude for Erickson’s work on Fear the Walking Dead and sharing news that he has been awarded a promising promotion within the company. Stillerman and other AMC executives seem especially impressed with Erickson, evidenced by this sudden new promotion.

“I have truly enjoyed working with the writers and directors, cast and crew on Fear and am so proud of what we have accomplished over our first two seasons,” said Erickson. “I look forward to completing work on Season 3, sharing it with the fans and developing new projects with my partners at AMC.”

New Faces Will Bring More Suspense To Season 3 Of Fear The Walking Dead

Den of Geek shares that Fear the Walking Dead is adding a few new characters, some recurring and some with a more regular story arc. Daniel Sharman (The Originals, Teen Wolf) will be joining the cast of the AMC spin-off series and is reportedly going to become a series regular. Sharman will play a character named Troy and is described as someone with a bad temper and a deep suspicion of meeting anyone new, yet the Fear the Walking Dead character is also said to be “charismatic with a cruel streak,” so it will be interesting to see how these traits interact together with the premise of the series.

Another new face coming to The Walking Dead spin-off series is Emma Caulfield, who is best known for playing Anya on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. This bit of casting news had been rumored for months, but the Fear the Walking Dead execs have finally confirmed Caufield’s casting. Unfortunately, that’s all they have confirmed. Emma’s role still remains a mystery, as it’s currently unknown whether she’ll be a villain or a protagonist, a recurring or a regular, or even what is the name of her character.

The main cast, Kim Dickens, Cliff Curtis, Frank Dillane, and Alycia Debnam-Carey, are all expected to return for Season 3.

Entertainment Weekly shares news that Fear the Walking Dead will bring everyone back together in Season 3 with the main characters converging on the U.S./Mexican border, though international property lines are now defunct in the wake of the zombie apocalypse. While Madison and Travis reconnect, they will also have to deal with Alicia’s P.T.S.D., following her murder of Andres. Nick (Frank Dillane) comes to terms with his mortality, following the interaction with American commandos that nearly saw Luciana (Danay Garcia) executed.

Elsewhere in Season 3 of Fear the Walking Dead, Strand (Colman Domingo) will reinvent himself, setting goals on securing a more financially stable future for himself. Ofelia’s (Mercedes Mason) situation will force her to come to terms with her distaste for her father’s savage acts of the past.

AMC has yet to share the premiere date for season 3 of Fear the Walking Dead.

[Featured Image by AMC]