Was Leaving the Walking Dead the Best Decision Sonequa Martin-Green Ever Made?

Sonequa Martin-Green rose to prominence in the Walking Dead as Sasha Green, a character she played for 45 episodes and six years between 2012 and 2018. The Alabama-born actor joined the hit zombie series when it was at its peak in season three and became one of the best characters on the show. However, the offering inspired by the Robert Kirkman comics took a sharp decline in quality around the end of season six and began to shed viewers. Martin-Green made the right decision to jump ship and has become one of the most highly esteemed actors on television in doing so.

Star Trek is a Much Bigger Franchise

Martin-Green is now the leading face in Star Trek: Discovery, a television series that appears to be in much better shape than The Walking Dead currently is. The problem with the zombie offering is that while Martin-Green was in it, it reached a point in which it seemed to plateau. The same or similar storylines were being trodden over again and the entertainment was suffering.

The opposite could be said for Star Trek: Discovery. With the latest generation of space-based franchises, there are limitless possibilities. And the show has also given Martin-Green a greater platform for success as it is arguably a much bigger franchise than that of The Walking Dead. Star Trek’s booming franchise is highlighted in the vast number of offerings aside from the main television series.

The name has broken out into numerous markets and this has helped attract more people to the television show as well. In the mobile market for example, there are multiple titles with Star Trek: Fleet Command being one of the best. This is a strategy game that allows players to build and maintain Starfleet ships, battle other players and hunt for resources. Apart from that, there is a popular Star Trek online slot game from IGT. It’s based on the 2009 film from J. J. Abrams and has the main characters on the reels. The special features include Spock Goes Wild and Kirk Win Spins bonuses. There is also the chance to use play money at numerous casinos, so users have the chance to try out the slot before committing any of their own money. Ultimately, it shows how versatile the franchise is.

Now Considered One of the Best actors on Television

When Martin-Green left The Walking Dead, the ratings were plummeting dramatically. This was through no fault of the 35-year-old’s acting, but more to do with the diabolical scripts that she was working with. During the All Out War phase of the show’s timeline, the long and dull feud between the protagonists and the villain at the time, Negan, dragged on for over two seasons. This led the average number of viewers to drop from 13.15 million in season six to 4.95 million by season nine.

There is no doubt that Martin-Green’s realization that The Walking Dead was stagnating has helped her career massively. By taking on the role of Michael Burnham in Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman’s series, Martin-Green has been able to propel herself massively and is now considered to be one of the best actors on television. This has been highlighted in her achievements since taking on the lead role in the space epic. After 29 episodes on the show, she has already picked up Saturn Awards for Best Actress on Television and Best Actress in a Streaming Presentation.

There is no doubt that Martin-Green left The Walking Dead and never looked back. She will be grateful that the AMC series helped boost her profile and gain her recognition, but her main success has been through her latest Star Trek: Discovery venture. There is a good chance that the popular series could act as a platform for Martin-Green to break out into Hollywood in the years ahead as well.