Robert Kirkman has regrets about killing Glenn on The Walking Dead
By Sonya Iryna
At SDCC Robert Kirkman talked about the iconic scene from The Walking Dead season 7 premiere where Negan killed Glenn and the backlash from the fans for that gruesome death.
According to Comicbook Robert Kirkman revealed that he might actually feel bad for killing off Glenn on The Walking Dead in season 7. But, both Kirkman and Steven Yeun recognized that Glenn’s death was a pivotal point for the story.
Fans were very upset over Glenn’s death which was gory. There was so much backlash that the producers of The Walking Dead promised to tone down the violence a little moving forward.
Glenn’s death wasn’t actually any more violent than other deaths that have been depicted on the show. But because fans have such an emotional connection to the character of Glenn the death felt intensely violent to those watching.
Kirkman had this to say about Glenn’s controversial death:
"“In the event that Steven Yeun eventually sees this, I just want to say for the record, ‘Not even a little bit!’ So, no,” Kirkman said. “Maybe a little. A little bit at the premiere. I got to watch that with an audience and when it was happening I was like, It’s a bit much. It’s a bit much.’"
But then he continued:
"“It was good for the show,” Kirkman said. “I think it was good to have the event for the seventh season.” It injected a lot of new blood to the show, including Negan, who fans really seem to like. “When you guys see Season 8 and what we’ve got planned for this year, it all comes together in a really cool way.”"
What Fans Think
There was a lot of controversy about The Walking Dead season 7 premiere “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be”. Fans had a visceral reaction to seeing Glenn’s bloody death. But most fans agree with Robert Kirkman and Steven Yeun that ultimately it was necessary to start a new chapter for The Walking Dead saga.
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Negan’s arrival had to have an emotional impact that fans had not felt before in order to kick-start the next phase of the story. And the shock of Negan beating Glenn to death immediately after killing Abe delivered that impact for sure.
Fans were grieving just like Rick, Maggie and the others in the aftermath of The Walking Dead’s season 7 premiere. And that journey will make the upcoming war between Rick and Negan even more important.
While Glenn’s loss changed The Walking Dead forever it underscores a simple truth that all fans of The Walking Dead know – none of the beloved characters are safe and all of them will fall at some point.
Next: 10 predictions for TWD season 8
The Walking Dead Season 8 Premiere
All Out War begins on October 22nd when The Walking Dead returns for season 8 with it’s 100th episode.