Besides, Game of Thrones needs to keep him alive and up North long enough to reunite with Arya, right? Right?!
Gendry could also be a key part of Game of Thrones for reasons that have nothing to do with his status as a Baratheon bastard.
He’s a notable enough character for fans to be invested in his fate but not so notable that he couldn’t be killed off.
He’s currently somewhere in the North, and his return for Season 8 likely means that he wasn’t at Eastwatch-by-the-Sea when it was breached by the Night King and undead Viserion.