Rubén Blades Reprises Daniel Salazar Role on ‘Fear the Walking Dead’ Season 5

After being completely absent in the new narrative of Fear the Walking Dead season four, fan-favorite Daniel Salazar, played by Rubén Blades, will finally make his return to the spin-off TWD show.

In the season three finale, Daniel was last seen saving Nick from the dam explosion and taking off with him. At that point, it was only Nick who made a return (and eventually died) in season four. The Clark family, along with Strand and Luciana, were the only ones shown to have survived the explosion. Daniel’s absence was never explained.

In an interview with Dia a Dia, Blades himself made the confirmation of his return when asked about the future projects he has lined up. He also confirmed that production for Fear the Walking Dead is underway, although he didn’t give any further details. This, however, doesn’t come as a surprise but rather a much-awaited comeback for the “unkillable” character.

Back in September, Fear the Walking Dead showrunner Andrew Chambliss teased a character’s possible return for the fifth season. And since many were left baffled at the discontinued season three finale, most assumed that it would either be Taqa and Crazy dog or Daniel. But as it turns out, the fan-favorite character prevailed.

Aside from Blades’ return, Comic Book also reports that a film focused on Daniel and The Walking Dead’s Abraham Ford is in the early stages of development, following the trilogy of movies centered on Rick Grimes.

While Daniel’s return comes as good news for Fear the Walking Dead fans, many are still hoping for Kim Dickens’ return, as her “death” was portrayed in an underwhelming manner. During the show’s midseason finale, Madison sacrificed herself so Nick, Alicia, Luci, and the other Stadium dwellers could escape from the incoming horde. It wasn’t shown how she died, but the showrunners heavily implied that it was indeed Madison’s final moment in the show.