‘Fear The Walking Dead’: Colman Domingo On Adding Characters To The Show

As fans know by now, “Fear the Walking Dead” will introduce a bunch of new characters in the upcoming Season 4 of the AMC series. And while some viewers are worried that the newcomers might overshadow the originals, series star Colman Domingo understands the need to add new characters to the zombie drama.

“Our universe has had to expand because our show has always been a family drama with some walkers to get in the way,” Domingo, who plays Victor Strand, told TheWrap. The actor added that in the new season, they are catching up in many ways. “We’re catching up as characters, we’re catching up in our universe and we have to expand, and we have to meet new people whether those are comrades or foes.”

Domingo also pointed out that the introduction of new characters to a show almost always enriches the story. “When you’re adding new characters — no matter what — there’s going to be some friction. There’s going to be some drama. There’s going to be many things they bring to the show,” Domingo explained.

In an interview with ComicBook.com earlier this month, actress Danay Garcia assured fans that original characters will have “huge” roles in Season 4 despite the arrival of new faces. “They’re getting their characters big time,” Garcia, who plays Luciana, said of Strand, Madison (Kim Dickens), Nick (Frank Dillane), and Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey). “Fans are going to be able to see them in different layers too.”

Scott M. Gimple, who now oversees the whole “Walking Dead” universe, told Entertainment Weekly that Season 4 of “Fear the Walking Dead” will give the same amount of screen time to new and old characters.

“It is absolutely about the interplay of [new and old] characters,” Gimple said when asked how much of the new season will focus on newcomers Morgan Jones (Lennie James), Althea (Maggie Grace), John (Garret Dillahunt), and Naomi (Jenna Elfman). “It’s like putting together a rock band or something like that. People have to be able to work with each other. They have to have a chemistry. The characters, just from a narrative point of view, have to offer different things and bring out different things in each other. And I’ve been really excited to see the band that we have because seeing them all play together has been exciting. When you look at Nick, Luciana, or Alicia, or Madison — even just where the characters are themselves as O.G. characters, they start in a very different place than we left them. I’ve been really, really excited with every episode that we finish.”

“Fear the Walking Dead” Season 4 premieres on Sunday, April 15 at 10 p.m. EDT on AMC.