Walking Dead’s Sasha: Is She Leaving So Sonequa Martin-Green Can Join ‘Star Trek’?

The Walking Dead’s Sonequa Martin-Green (Sasha) has spent five years cutting down countless zombies in the wasteland of postapocalypse America, so diplomatic missions to the far reaches of space should be a breeze for her (right!).

The former, core cast member on AMC’s hit series TWD, is adding another big-name show to her résumé. Martin-Green, 31, will play the lead role on CBS All Access’ upcoming Star Trek series, the first new instalment of the famous sci-fi franchise in more than a decade. (The last entry, Star Trek: Enterprise, zoomed away in 2005 after four seasons.) Her character, a lieutenant commander aboard the ship Discovery, will anchor Star Trek: Discovery for the duration of its 13-episode debut season, which premieres on CBS in May 2017 before moving to CBS All Access.

Needless to say, this is a big deal for the actress — and for Star Trek, which is making a point in its latest iteration to feature its most diverse cast of characters yet, having an African American actress leading the charge had been a long time goal of co-creator Bryan Fuller.)

Sonequa Martin-Green as Sasha Williams on ‘The Walking Dead.’ Gene Page/AMC

Sasha has been a major presence on the AMC series since she and her brother, Tyreese (Chad L. Coleman), first appeared in season 3 outside the gates of the prison.

Sasha has survived her brother’s loss and other various threats of the zombie apocalypse, but the fall of the prison, the cannibals at Terminus and the deaths of two boyfriends. So a new frontier awaits, and Culturedemandsgeeks wish Soneque all our best in her new, exciting role.

Star Trek: Discovery premieres on CBS in May 2017 before moving to CBS All Access.