After Hearing How Steven Yeun Could Still Return To The Walking Dead Universe, My Biggest Franchise Hope Is Still Alive

As Scott Gimple weighed in on a potential reappearance of Glenn in The Walking Dead universe, the series has the perfect opportunity to bring back Steven Yeun in a long-awaited and emotional cameo. Yeun first appeared as Glenn Rhee in The Walking Dead season 1, where the former pizza delivery driver brings the recently-awakened Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) into his party of survivors. Known for his resourcefulness and quick thinking, Glenn became the group's primary supply runner as they searched for new safe havens in the undead apocalypse.

Glenn was a core character in the earlier seasons of The Walking Dead, growing more skilled in defeating the undead as his party survived several notable encounters, ultimately making their way to the Greene family's farm. Here, Glenn would meet Maggie (Lauren Cohen), and the pair would eventually marry, with hopes to start their own family despite the terror that the apocalypse brings, both living and dead. However, Glenn would ultimately meet his end in season 7 at the hands of Negan (Jeffrey Deen Morgan), as he is brutally executed via his barbed baseball bat, Lucille.

Steven Yeun's Potential Return To The Walking Dead Universe Keeps Reunion Hopes Alive

The Franchise Has Left Plenty Of Room For Deceased Characters To Appear

As The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 finale confronted Maggie with a harrowing flashback to Glenn's death, AMC's chief content officer Scott Gimple revealed to ScreenRant that he considered bringing Steven Yeun back to reprise his role of Glenn for the scene. Yeun was unable to reprise the role due to scheduling issues, but Gimple didn't rule out the possibility of allowing the actor to reprise the role in the future:

I think it comes to mind all the time. In some ways, it's a pretty obvious way to go. But it would obviously be enjoyable for all of us. Steven is a remarkably busy dude, though - not to say that these folks aren't. You never know, I guess I'd say, but we never went that far with it.

The Walking Dead has a history of featuring visions and flashbacks that allow long-deceased characters to return. Whether it's Jon Bernthal's Shane or Sarah Wayne Callies' Lori, these returns usually come in key moments, be they near-death experiences or moments of internal struggle. With the incredible ongoing impact that Glenn continues to have on the series, it would feel like the actor's return to the series is inevitable, setting up an emotional reunion.

Another way that Steven Yeun can return to The Walking Dead is through glimpses into the character's past in flashbacks. Though we may never get a glimpse at Glenn's pre-outbreak history due to his passing, there may still be room to explore the character's life with his fellow survivors. While these moments may not provide any major revelations, they could still be a touching way to show how his memory lives on through his loved ones.

The Walking Dead Spinoffs' Crossover Tease Makes A Glenn Appearance More Exciting

Glenn's Loved Ones Continue To Take The Franchise Forward

Of course, Maggie isn't the only character who met Glenn that could be reunited with him in the current landscape of The Walking Dead franchise. Currently, the franchise has been expanded through not only Dead City, but through The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, and The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, while a fourth series, More Tales from the Walking Dead Universe, is in development. Each of these series has either continued the tales of Glenn's loved ones or pivotal characters within his journey.

While Maggie may be the obvious choice to be given a reunion with Glenn in some form, it could also be interesting to see Negan encounter a vision of the man whose death still remains one of his most infamous acts. Meanwhile, Daryl, Carol, and Glenn were close, meaning that it could be worth exploring how his death impacted them further, be it the circumstances of his death, or how Glenn inspired them. As such, there is no shortage of how the future of The Walking Dead can bring one of its most beloved characters back to screens.