The Walking Dead showrunner Angela Kang hints at the new Walker variants audiences should expect in the zombie show's final season. As early as season 1, The Walking Dead established that not all zombies behave the same, depicting some Walkers as sneaky, able to pick up objects, and possibly having a semblance of their original selves buried deep down. These ideas soon fell by the wayside as the series continued, with shambling zombies becoming the status quo. That was until The Walking Dead: World Beyond, a spinoff whose final scene revealed the existence of fast, aggressive zombies in France.
It was later confirmed that different types of Walkers would be making their way over to the flagship series as well. A trailer for The Walking Dead season 11C revealed the existence of zombies who can open doors. The creepy callback to Morgan Jones' zombified wife from the very first episode indicates these types of rare zombies have been around for quite some time, even if audiences are just about to see more of them now. Walking Dead executive producer Greg Nicotero has hinted at these new zombie types being a big threat to the show's heroes.
In an interview with Digital Spy, showrunner Angela Kang discussed the types of new zombies audiences should expect in The Walking Dead season 11's final episodes. Kang clarifies the importance of using pre-established ideas for Walkers as a jumping-off point while teasing the possibility of faster variants finding their way to Virginia. Check out what Kang said below:
"This season, one of the things that we have been doing is sort of an exploration of the past and the present. We open the season with sort of an exploration of the idea of lurkers, which are the ones that go dormant. Those have existed in the series for a long time. But we've never done a super deep-dive into them. It's sort of like that led a little organically to this idea of: we've seen other variants, too – we just haven't seen them for a very, very long time. But that doesn't mean they weren't out there at some point.
"If you've been used to one set of rules for zombies, and you haven't really encountered ones that do these other things, then some of your mechanisms for protecting yourself change…. It's just in the spirit of exploring what's out there. And for those who caught the end of World Beyond, we've seen that there may be a different variant that exists somewhere else, too. That's just part of the fun.”
Variants Will Up The Danger In The Walking Dead Universe
New zombie types are gearing up to be a terrifying addition to The Walking Dead's universe. While stakes are already high for the group as they deal with the Commonwealth, the addition of new Walkers will add to the tension as the show concludes. Variants also sound like they'll be an important piece of The Walking Dead's Daryl Dixon spinoff show as well, which takes place in France. As Kang alluded to, World Beyond confirmed the existence of fast zombies in France, meaning new zombies featured in The Walking Dead season 11 will become a mainstay even in future spinoffs.
Kang's mention of lurkers also highlights how sneakier zombies could become another major variant survivors will have to deal with. Assassin-like zombies alongside more aggressive ones indicate a whole host of Walker varieties are on the table now, increasing the danger survivors in all Walking Dead shows are going to have to face. It's likely these new zombie types will also feature on Fear the Walking Dead, as Morgan Jones actor Lennie James has expressed excitement in facing such threats. With The Walking Dead season 11 coming to a close, Walker variants are gearing up to be a compelling, terrifying threat as a new chapter of the zombie franchise begins.
Source: Digital Spy