Fear the Walking Dead star Colman Domingo looks back on his time as Victor Strand and the series finale, reflecting on whether he'd return to the role. Fear the Walking Dead was the first spinoff in a television franchise that has seen many, running from August 2015 until November 2023. Although he was not part of the original cast, Domingo quickly made an impression and quickly became a series regular after being introduced near the end of season 1, and a crucial part of the zombie drama through to its conclusion.
In an interview with Screen Rant's Grant Hermanns to promote his Netflix limited series The Madness, which premieres November 28, Domingo shared that he still talks to his co-stars Kim Dickens and Alycia Debnam-Carey about the Fear the Walking Dead ending. Still, despite the fondness, the Oscar nominee and Emmy winner expressed some doubt about revisiting Victor, while also joking about his Walking Dead and Madness characters being connected. Check out what Domingo shared below:
First of all, that's wild, because literally, I was with Kim Dickens and Alicia Debnam-Carey last night, and we had no idea that it was one year ago that it aired. That's wild, it was an unconscious celebration. I think that I never say never, but I think that, after eight seasons in the arc of Victor Strand, I sort of squeezed everything out of him that I could. I think the only way Victor Strand could exist would have to be in his own universe. That's what I think. He couldn't be a part of the franchise. It would have to be solely about the world that he's building, because Victor is someone who can keep transforming, and that's what I really loved about him. But right now, he sort of transformed into his cousin, [The Madness'] Muncie Daniels, and I'm cool with that. [Laughs]
Victor's Happy Farewell Could Stick
Victor not only survived Fear the Walking Dead's ending, but also got an uplifting send-off, forming a family with Frank (Isha Blaaker) and their son Klaus (Julian Grey). In the process, he had to say goodbye to his former companions Madison (Dickens) and Alicia (Debnam-Carey), driving away in search of a new beginning. That's typically the start of a spinoff premise. However, Domingo's reluctance to revisit the role makes sense.
In the years since Fear the Walking Dead premiered, back in 2015, Domingo's star has been on a steady rise. He has since stood out in such films as The Color Purple, Zola, and If Beale Street Could Talk. He was also one of the strong points in the HBO series Euphoria, considering having the best scenes with Zendaya's Rue Bennett as her sponsor, Ali, trying to keep the troubled teen sober, in an often contentious relationship that helped win the Pennsylvania native an Emmy.
More recently, Domingo earned an Oscar nomination for his leading role in the biopic Rustin, and he's again getting Oscar buzz for his performance in the drama Sing Sing. As relatively rare as it is for an actor to play one role for eight seasons, getting to know Victor so well, it can drive the urge to explore other stories and environments. There often isn't much left to explore with a character after that many years, unless the right idea or opportunity came along.
Our Take On Domingo's Potential Walking Dead Return
There's At Least A Clear Template For It
The new era of The Walking Dead franchise has focused on recruiting fan favorites for consistently quick seasons that are distinguished by their short episodes. That has been the case with The Walking Dead: Dead City's story, which brought back Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan as Negan and Maggie, as well as The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon and The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, which was centered on Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurrira).
Melissa McBride returns as Carol Peletier, in a series regular role, as of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2.
All three spinoffs are a success, with Dead City and Daryl Dixon getting renewed, while The Ones Who Live has brought in strong viewership for AMC, though no future plans have been confirmed for it. Even though Domingo may not be inclined to revisit Victor Strand now, so soon after Fear the Walking Dead has wrapped, should he ever want to revisit the character further down the line, the zombie franchise accommodates a limited engagement.
