Ezekiel actor, Khary Payton, recently revealed that he was not satisfied with his character's journey on The Walking Dead. Based on the long-running Robert Kirkman comic book series of the same name, the horror-drama centers on a group of survivors following the zombie apocalypse. Over the course of the show's 12 years and 11 seasons, The Walking Dead featured a vast cast of revolving characters as each season routinely killed off various survivors.
Joining The Walking Dead in October 2016 for season 7, Payton starred as King Ezekiel, the leader of a community of survivors known as the Kingdom. A benevolent ruler, he partnered with the Hilltop and Alexandria communities to fight Negan and the Saviors. Eventually winning out, Ezekiel marries Carol and adopts a young boy named Henry as their son. Following Henry's death at the hands of the Whisperers, their relationship falls apart and Ezekiel and his subjects abandoned the Kingdom during a blizzard to live at Hilltop. Years later, several core survivors eventually settle within the Commonwealth where Ezekiel returns to his work as a Zookeeper. However, his new peaceful life is cut short as the vast community begins to collapse on itself.
In a recent interview with the Insider, Payton revealed that he was not satisfied with Ezekiel's character journey in The Walking Dead. The actor feels that there is still a lot of Ezekiel to explore but understands that there is just not enough time in a show with an ensemble cast to thoroughly dive into his character. Read what Payton had to say below:
No, I'm not satisfied at all. I wish that — there are so many places and situations that I would've loved to explore. But that's one of the things that happens when you have a show that has this many dynamic and interesting characters. 48 minutes or, sometimes, over an hour-long episode just isn't enough.
These characters are beautifully constructed. I think the strength of the show is that these characters are nuanced, interesting, and there's so many of them that you just can't get it all in.
I am very sorry to say goodbye to Ezekiel and I cross my fingers and hope that maybe sometime down the road, we could tell the story of how Ezekiel came to be a king or something.
Could Ezekiel Return in a Walking Dead Spinoff Show?
Although Payton expressed disappointment in letting Ezekiel go, he still wishes to return to the character if there is another story to tell. With the various The Walking Dead spinoff series planned for the future, and The Fear the Walking Dead show still going strong, it is possible for Ezekiel to feature in one of those shows. As Daryl Dixon and The Walking Dead: Dead City are both set in very distant locations from The Walking Dead's current location, it is unlikely that Ezekiel will appear in those shows. However, with Rick and Michonne reuniting for their own sequel limited series, it is possible that he may feature in a guest appearance if the couple ever reunites with their children.
However, Tales of the Walking Dead, may be the perfect place for another Ezekiel story. The episodic anthology series delivers self-contained stories within each episode, depicting a part of The Walking Dead universe. With Payton expressing an interest to explore Ezekiel and the Kingdom's origins, Tales of the Walking Dead would be a suitable platform for the story as the series already featured an origin story for Alpha, the leader of the Whisperers. With only three more episodes of The Walking Dead left, audiences must savor the final few moments of Ezekiel's screen time as there are no current plans for him to return to the franchise after season 11 concludes November 20.
Source: Insider