Summary

Scott Gimple hinted at Glenn's return to The Walking Dead franchise.
Steven Yeun reprising his role would generate buzz among fans.
Glenn's return wouldn't benefit the show and could alienate viewers due to the impact of his controversial death.

Nobody was safe in The Walking Dead, regardless of how popular a character became, and Glenn Rhee's death was the greatest example of that. In what was one of the most shocking moments in the show's history, his death proved to be a controversial scene that did have a negative impact on the series in hindsight.

Glenn is someone The Walking Dead fans have been pining after ever since, hoping to see him in any capacity. Until now, that hasn't happened, and ultimately, that's the right decision that should continue moving forward, as it will be for the best.

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By Rachael Fiddis

Scott Gimple Has Teased The Idea Of Glenn Returning To The Walking Dead Franchise

Seeing Steven Yeun Reprise The Role Would Get A Lot Of People Talking

the walking dead glenn steven yeun season 7

The world of The Walking Dead is something that has been kept alive long after the main series ended in 2022 due to spinoff shows such as The Walking Dead: Dead City. That series is the most recent to be released, and given the lead characters as Negan and Maggie, many fans have wanted to see Glenn return. Of course, Maggie was Glenn's wife in The Walking Dead, and the pair is one of the most popular couples in the series. Meanwhile, Negan was the man responsible for Glenn's death at the start of season seven, as he used his famous weapon, Lucille, to bring an end to his life. However, that doesn't mean Glenn can't return to the show, and The Walking Dead writer Scott Gimple recently spoke to ScreenRant about that idea.

"I think it comes to mind all the time. In some ways, it's a pretty obvious way to go. But it would obviously be enjoyable for all of us. Steven is a remarkably busy dude, though - not to say that these folks aren't. You never know, I guess I'd say, but we never went that far with it."

Of course, if the concept was right, the idea of bringing Glenn back for an episode or an entire season would prove to be popular for multiple reasons. Glenn was a brilliant character who had a lot of depth and brought genuine emotional balance to the show. While the likes of Rick and Carol were happy to be cutthroat, Glenn never enjoyed killing, and that made him easy to connect to. Plus, his relationship with Maggie was sincere, sweet, and relatable, and the fact that it ended in such a brutal manner never sat right with fans. On top of that, Yeun himself is a brilliant actor, and his star power has only risen since leaving The Walking Dead, and his return would potentially bring new fans.

The Walking Dead Doesn't Need To See Glenn Return

His Death Was A Controversial Moment That Is Best Being Left Behind

Glenn was beloved by fans of The Walking Dead as he felt like the heart of the series in many ways, mainly due to being an original character. However, his death is one of the most controversial moments in the franchise's history, and bringing that back up to remind people might not be the wisest move. While the show killed off countless characters that were popular with fans, the death of Glenn hit the hardest due to how brutal it was. The scene was visceral and disturbing, even for a horror series, and many found it to be an example of the show trying to provide a shock factor rather than just telling a great story. While Glenn's death was an example of The Walking Dead sticking to the source material and telling the story that was in the comics, fans felt this was a moment that could have been changed, which the show also did a lot of. The fact that The Walking Dead saw a genuine loss in viewers after this moment, which they never recovered from, was a telling factor in how people felt. Bringing Glenn back would run the risk of reminding those who stuck around how annoyed they were, and it would almost feel like a slap in the face that it didn't matter, as he could just be pulled back in at any point.

There Is Very Little That can Be Achieve With Glenn Moving Forward

His Return Wouldn't Benefit Any Walking Dead Spinoff Show

Ultimately, the main reason Glenn doesn't need to be brought back is that nothing can be achieved with him in terms of moving a show forward. Glenn is dead; therefore, he's only going to appear in a flashback scene or as part of someone's imagination, such as Maggie's. That doesn't lend itself to a lot of detailed storytelling, as going back to the past would only work for so long before it felt tiresome. On top of that, Glenn was a main character in The Walking Dead; therefore, fans saw everything that he did, which means they would have to be creative in showing old footage that the original series never highlighted so that it fits naturally with the timeline.

Glenn's return would potentially provide a spike in ratings for one episode, but then it risks distracting from whatever story is being told in the long term throughout that season, which then makes it a problem. On top of that, would lapsed fans of The Walking Dead return to watch the rest of the season, knowing he might not be a part of it and that there is a lot of storyline to catch up on? It's hard to see how Glenn's return benefits The Walking Dead franchise at this point, outside of a brief nostalgia pop; therefore, he's best left in the past.

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