The first batches of offers for the 2018 broadcast pilots are out, and one surprising name has stood out, The Walking Dead star Lauren Cohan. The actress, who plays Maggie on the hit AMC zombie drama, has been very sought after with close to half-dozen offers so far.

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The development may come as a shock to TWD fans because her character is alive and well on the show where death lurks around every corner. A fan favorite, Cohan has been on the series since the beginning of Season 2, which she joined as a recurring, becoming a series regular in Season 3. Cohan’s contract is up at the end of TWD‘s current eighth season, making her available for new series.

There had been rumblings that Cohan had sought parity with her male co-stars Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus, who are paid significantly more than all of their female colleagues. I hear that was brought up early on but was not made a make-or-break requirement for Cohan to come back as she had joined the show later than Lincoln and Reedus who, on average, appear in more scenes than just about anyone else on the series. I hear AMC offered Cohan a modest salary increase in exchange for a long-term contract, which was rejected, a standard practice in talent re-negotiations.

What happened next is a little murky. I hear the network did not follow up with a new proposition and there have been no further talks. Cohan, who is contractually free and clear to entertain new offers, has been doing that, with her availability igniting a feeding frenzy in the form of a string of offers from multiple networks. She reportedly has been engaging, taking pilot meetings.

According to other sources close to the situation, there are active talks with Cohan who has not indicated that she would not be coming back for Season 9, which already has been greenlighted.

Currently in its eighth season, The Walking Dead remains the No.1 series on television in adults 18-49 and recently appointed its first female showrunner, Angela Kang.