The season premiere of The Walking Dead is less than two months away, but the series’ has just cast a pivotal new bit of casting for the upcoming episodes. Skybound announced that Juan Javier Cardenas has joined the show as Dante, a character from the original comics.
Cardenas is perhaps best known for appearing in the first season of FX’s Snowfall. Since then, he has had recurring roles on USA’s Damnation and CBS’ S.W.A.T. Cardenas also confirmed his Walking Dead casting via his official Instagram page. You can check out his post below.
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Dante was introduced in The Walking Dead #131, following the events of the “All Out War” storyline. At one point, he also had a relationship with Maggie, and they lived together at the Hilltop. However, the announcement makes it clear that Lauren Cohen’s continued absence will prevent this from happening on the show. Instead, the TV series’ version of Dante will “come with his own unique story.”
News of Dante making his live-action Walking Dead debut isn’t that surprising. Showrunner Angela Kang actually teased plans to bring him onto the series last month. She talked a little bit about his characterization while speaking with Entertainment Weekly.
“He is this roguish, fast-talking, sometimes charming, sometimes annoying guy who can sometimes put his foot in his mouth, but is an interesting presence in the comics,” said Kang.
The Walking Dead season 10 debuts on October 6. Are you excited to see what Juan Javier Cardenas brings to the role of Dante? Tell us what you think in the comment section below!
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