Following the backlash over the sixth season finale cliffhanger, the comic book creator Robert Kirkman says, 'I don't know that I would expect a similar cliffhanger at the end of season 7.'
- Aug 6, 2016
AceShowbiz - "The Walking Dead" creative team has learned its lesson. Learning that some fans are upset that they have to wait months to find out whom Negan killed in the sixth season finale, Robert Kirkman hints that there probably won't be a similar cliffhanger in season 7.
"Look, I think as a creative person I have to acknowledge that all responses are valid, so I definitely have to take note that there's a seemingly significant portion of the audience that wasn't happy with that direction," he tells EW about the controversial cliffhanger, "so in that respect I think everyone on 'The Walking Dead' creative team has taken note of that, and I don't know that I would expect a similar cliffhanger at the end of season 7."
Kirkman, the creator of the comic books and executive producer of the TV show, adds, "At the same time, I know it's just a small portion of the audience, and a lot of people actually like the mystery and are enjoying the guessing game that they're playing over the summer so I don't know. But you get to season 6 on a show and you try new things and sometimes they work, and sometimes they don't, but I would hope that after enjoying six seasons of the show people would recognize that, everything that [showrunner] Scott Gimple is putting together is an effort to keep the show exciting, and engaging, and keeping everybody excited about it."
"A lot of the responses were like, 'Ah, these jerks trying to pull one over on us,' and it's like, 'No. It's all done in an effort to keep you entertained,' " he recalls, before promising, "We love the fan base, we love the audience and so if you didn't like this one you'll like the next one."
Kirkman additionally expresses his hope that the show will continue beyond the upcoming seventh season. "We hopefully have many more seasons to go," he says.
"The Walking Dead" season 7 premieres Sunday, October 23 at 9 P.M. ET on AMC. Jeffrey Dean Morgan who plays the new villain, Negan, has been upgraded to series regular for the seventh season. The show will additionally feature new characters Ezekiel (Khary Payton), a former zookeeper who rules a community called the Kingdom, and his pet tiger Shiva.
