Fear the Walking Dead Crossover 'A Bad Idea'

Screen Rant

Fear The Walking Dead Crossover 'Would Be A Bad Idea'

By Craig Elvy

Published Sep 6, 2017

According to Fear The Walking Dead actor Daniel Sharman, a crossover with The Walking Dead would be a bad move for both shows.

Daniel Sharman as Troy Otto in Fear The Walking Dead

A crossover between Fear The Walking Dead and its parent series, The Walking Dead, would not be a wise move according to one of Fear's stars. Although The Walking Dead has been remit to explore the early days of the zombie apocalypse, the narrative's timeline has quickly reached a point where the outbreak is in full swing, making the landscapes of Fear The Walking Dead and The Walking Dead very similar indeed.

Naturally, this has caused some to speculate on the possibility of a crossover between the two shows. While a full-scale joint episode may be somewhat unrealistic, the possibility of popular characters who died on The Walking Dead popping up in the spinoff feels like a distinct possibility in the eyes of many. Figures such as Abraham Ford (Michael Cudlitz) could've potentially found themselves in Fear the Walking Dead territory at some point early in the outbreak. Even more minor - yet still recognizable - characters with vague backstories like Governor henchman Caesar Martinez, could feasibly pop in for a brief cameo.

Related: 'All Bets Are Off' When Fear The Walking Dead Continues

However, Daniel Sharman, who plays Troy Otto in Fear The Walking Dead, firmly believes that such a crossover between the two Walking Dead entities "would be a bad idea." Explaining his view, Sharman told Comic Book:

"I think what's amazing about this world that's been created over both shows is that the scale of it is so massive, and I think personally not only do you have to deal with the time jump, you also have to deal with the fact that if they do cross over in some way then the world becomes smaller. What's lovely about both shows is, I think, tonally they're very different shows, but also the fact that they deal so specifically with a certain area and certain people is really interesting... I think if they mix and they merge in that way, you end up making the world smaller. It's almost too convenient at that point."

Certainly, it's difficult to argue with Sharman's logic. The geography of the franchise's zombie universe means that any character crossover would feel very forced and would likely be viewed as either a transparent, knowing wink to The Walking Dead fans or an obvious marketing ploy. With that said, the differing tone of both shows would be less of a stumbling block, as although the two series do offer unique takes on the same story, they have enough in common for both sets of characters to transfer over effectively.

Despite the obvious drawbacks, it's still difficult to ignore the potential benefits a familiar face showing up in Fear The Walking Dead would have. Although the spinoff has already been commissioned for a fourth season, it hasn't quite proved to be the hit AMC were surely hoping for and has consistently attracted mixed critical reception. An appearance from some The Walking Dead alumni could act as an energizing shot in the arm if a crossover ever did materialize.