Fear The Walking Dead's Lennie James Gets Cryptic About Morgan's Fate, And Now I'm Worried

morgan and walkers fear the walking dead season 5 finale
(Image credit: amc press)

Fear the Walking Dead ended Season 5 on a vastly dour note for all of the protagonists, most of whom got separated from one another by Colby Minifie's Virginia and her group of Pioneers. That wasn't exactly the case for Morgan, however. He was shot and left to be walker food by Virginia, and the finale ended on him sharing a radio message for the others to "just live." Fans have debated Morgan's survival chances, and Lennie James has offered an update that is both cryptic and worrisome.

The fact that Fear the Walking Dead even kept Morgan's fate open for debate made it seem likely that he will be heading down the road to recuperation whenever Season 6 arrives. Lennie James spoke with NME about Morgan's future and he offered a fully expected "can't say anything just yet" answer. However, when the actor was asked if he missed starring on The Walking Dead proper, his response was a rather ominous and bothersome one.

So yeah, I do miss [The Walking Dead]. I particularly miss it when I hear from my mates who are still on the show, and I just remember the good times we had. I also really miss Atlanta. I fell in love with that city, and I made friends there who had nothing to do with the show. Might I ever be invited back to The Walking Dead? Maybe: the ghost of Morgan! [Laughs]

Considering no one had brought up The Walking Dead giving fans its take on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, it's a bit strange that Lennie James would automatically assume that it could only be Morgan's ghost that would return to The Walking Dead. Why wouldn't he be able to travel back and visit the flagship series' characters in a way that wouldn't necessitate him dying and existing in a non-corporeal form?

The only answer that really makes any sense, of course, is that Morgan Jones is definitely going to die soon on Fear the Walking Dead, even if it might not happen in the premiere. After all, it's absolutely believable that showrunners Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg would figure out a way to keep Morgan alive through the first episode back, only to kill him off after that point.

Even if another surprise character swooped in right at the nick of time in order to save Morgan from the walkers coming for a chow-down, it would probably still take some kind of medical professional to reverse the effects of his gunshot wounds. It's not completely out of the realm of possibilities, but it's a stretch.

Compare the earlier answer to how Lennie James responded when asked directly about Morgan's fate after the Season 5 finale cliffhanger:

I couldn’t possibly comment! He is a survivor, but in this universe, as it’s been proven over and over again on both The Walking Dead and Fear…, anybody’s time can be called. There have been a number of characters that people have said ‘oh, that character can’t die, they’ll be there forever’ and then they’ve gone. Rick and Carl are good examples of that. Nothing’s guaranteed, but maybe Morgan’s time is up — maybe it isn’t. Hopefully we’ll get to see the new season of Fear… and see how that plays out.

Considering Lennie James is going to be doing all kinds of promotional work for Fear the Walking Dead Season 6, I certainly hope Morgan is alive for at least part of the season. Otherwise, the actor is going to be making up a lot of answers that won't be very placating for the fanbase.

Fear the Walking Dead Season 6 currently doesn't have a release date set, and the spinoff's Texas-based production was shut down along with the rest of the industry here in the U.S. We do know that the plan is to air the season after the Walking Dead: World Beyond spinoff airs its first of two seasons; that show's premiere date was delayed to a currently unknown point in the future.

Check out our TV finale rundown for all the other shows that might be dropping cliffhanger endings soon, and then our Summer 2020 TV premiere schedule will clue fans in on what other premieres are currently confirmed for the future.

Nick Venable
Assistant Managing Editor

Nick is a Cajun Country native and an Assistant Managing Editor with a focus on TV and features. His humble origin story with CinemaBlend began all the way back in the pre-streaming era, circa 2009, as a freelancing DVD reviewer and TV recapper.  Nick leapfrogged over to the small screen to cover more and more television news and interviews, eventually taking over the section for the current era and covering topics like Yellowstone, The Walking Dead and horror. Born in Louisiana and currently living in Texas — Who Dat Nation over America’s Team all day, all night — Nick spent several years in the hospitality industry, and also worked as a 911 operator. If you ever happened to hear his music or read his comics/short stories, you have his sympathy.