The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman is okay with fans being upset over Carl’s fate in the TV series and promises there will be a payoff to this storyline.
Kirkman spoke with Entertainment Weekly about the negative reaction to Carl’s walker bite in The Walking Dead Season 8 midseason finale. Unfortunately for Carl, the bite was on his chest, which means it’s impossible to amputate the body part to keep infection from spreading. It’s highly unlikely Carl will be able to survive without proper medical care. It’s a fate Kirkman has accepted for the character.
“I think Scott first brought it up to me as a possibility probably about a year ago at this point,” Kirkman told EW. “At first, I was kind of like, ‘Well, that’s a big one, you know?’ I might have had a little bit of trepidation. But once he laid out to me exactly what his long-term plans were, and the things that come out of it, and the things that it leads to, it was something I got on board with.”
Kirkman wasn’t surprised by the reaction to Carl’s upcoming death. As much as some Walking Dead fans may want it to be true, let’s hope it’s not a Glenn-dumpster situation. The kid has survived two gunshot wounds; he’s basically Superman if he survives this walker bite. But Kirkman believes Carl’s death will ultimately be good for the show.
“I know that some fans online have been very upset, but that’s by design,” Kirkman said. “We’re not supposed to be happy when these characters die. We are supposed to be worried about what comes next, and anticipating what comes next, and stressing about what comes next. That just shows that you’re engaged and you’re interested. Our job is to now pay that off and fulfill that interest, and prove that this was a decision worth making. That’s what we’ve got to do.”
If you’re a TV Carl fan, then you’ll love Comic Carl, who’s still very much alive and evolves from a scared, helpless little boy to a survivor. Carl slowly comes into his own and has what it takes to become a true leader. You see him get out of intense situations with Negan and outsmart the people around him. He’s not afraid to be bold and stand up for himself. It’s unfortunate fans won’t get to see Carl’s best comic book storylines come to life.
The Walking Dead Season 8 returns Feb. 25 on AMC.
