Melissa McBride saved Carol from her comic fate on The Walking Dead

Carol faced a gruesome death in The Walking Dead comic book series, but the decision to keep her in the TV series is credited to Melissa McBride. AMC’s zombie drama series The Walking Dead is based on the hit comic book series of the same name. Although many things have changed from the source material, one of the most significant changes has been how Carol Peletier moved from the forefront of the show.

Issue #41 of The Walking Dead Deluxe was released on June 15 and is the shocking installment of the series where Carol is killed off in a graphic and disturbing way. However, the character lives on in the AMC television series and is one of the most popular characters in the entire show.

What happened to change the fate of Carol Peletier from The Walking Dead comics to shift and make her one of the leading characters on the TV show? Robert Kirkman explained that in the Cutting Room Floor section of The Walking Dead Deluxe.

What makes the TV version of Carol so special?

The comic and television versions of the character are significantly different. That is an interesting change from a show that tried not to stray too far from the source material in the show’s early seasons, but one major difference sets the two apart.

Robert Kirkman gave massive respect to Melissa McBride’s ability to develop Carol as a dynamic character that would make the show better just by sticking around and continuing to allow Carol to blossom and be a part of major stories going forward.

"“In the comic, Carol isn’t played by Melissa McBride. Actors can really drive story, especially on a TV show. Watching the show come together season after season, every choice the actor makes influences the story moving forward and it can lead to interesting character changes and evolution. Hence, TV Carol.”"

The funny part of this revelation is that Melissa McBride might not even know that her performance as Carol kept the character from being killed off much earlier in the series. She is a professional who has elevated many of her characters to become versatile and dynamic on the screen.

Thank goodness The Walking Dead cast Melissa McBride to play Carol Peletier. If they hadn’t, there is no way of knowing the fate the character may have faced in the hit AMC zombie drama series.

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