The Walking Dead has to win back some fans after a controversial seventh season, which featured the gruesome deaths of several fan favorites and a somewhat lackluster plot overall.

But actor Ross Marquand, who plays Alexandria survivor Aaron on the show, is convinced that season 8 will bring the right amount of action and significant turning points to captivate audiences once more.

In a recent interview with Comic Book prior to this weekend’s Walker Stalker Con, Marquand praised the upcoming season for its commitment to push the envelope:

“I mean, I really can’t say much, but I will say that again I think it’s going to be, I think with what we’re capturing so far I think it’s going to be the best season so far of the show. I think it’s so, so well crafted …. Every episode I read I’m just blown away by what we’re getting on the page and I think it is going to raise the stakes even higher than the show has ever gone before, which is saying a lot considering the stake rising we’ve been doing every single year for the last 7. To go even further in Season 8, that’s just astonishing.”

This is sure to be welcome news for fans. Along with accusations of racism and homophobia around certain character deaths, season 7 was criticized for a depressing story arc lacking in character development as the main characters were separated from one another and suffering under the tyrannical thumb of antagonist Negan.

After multiple episodes of inaction, the season finale was a tense and action-packed affair that reunited and revitalized the cast, who now seem ready to wage an “all out war” to take back their freedom in this post-apocalyptic world.

Showrunner Scott Gimple has also recently stated that the new season will be “kinetic and fast moving,” reveling in a “whole different momentum” to the story as the show’s long-awaited showdown against Negan finally comes to fruition.

Are you excited about season 8? If you stopped watching the show, do you think you’ll pick it up again? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

The Walking Dead will come back to life in October 2017, with the first official trailer of season 8 slated to premiere in July during San Diego Comic Con.

Source: Screen Rant