The Walking Dead Prepares for Exit of Andrew Lincoln

As the new season of The Walking Dead draws closer, fans of the post-apocalyptic epic and the show’s cast and crew are preparing for the departure of longtime series star Andrew Lincoln. Lincoln has portrayed Rick Grimes on the show since it premiered in 2010, going from idealistic police officer to the no nonsense leader of the show’s ragtag group of survivors. When it was announced that Lincoln would be leaving the series earlier this summer, those familiar with the show were blindsided, not only because the actor has led the show for so long but because his literary counterpart still exists in the comic books and continues to have many adventures in the world of the undead.

It is expected that Lincoln’s character will only be in the first five or six episodes of the first half of the upcoming season. While most fans predict that he will simply be killed-off, Lincoln teased otherwise in interviews earlier this summer at San Diego Comic Con. Speaking to ComicBook.com, Lincoln teased that he is far from done with The Walking Dead. While he said that he did not want to spoil the season’s storyline, he urged people to watch the show to see what happens to his character.

According to fanfest.com, writers and producers of the show have also spoken to news outlets to give a sneak peek of what fans can expect from the remainder of Lincoln’s tenure on the series. According to showrunner Angela Kang, by far the most common theme that season nine will embrace is conflict. Specifically, Kang says that the conflict between Rick and Negan is still very much alive in the upcoming season. This comes as last season concluded with Rick and his combined group of Alexandria, the Kingdom, and the Hilltop defeating Negan and the Saviors. Much like in the comics, after his defeat, Negan was put in the Alexandria jail. This season, Rick will visit Negan in jail often, gloating over his victory but never truly moving-on from the war. Producer Scott Gimple also revealed in an interview with TVLine that another conflict is brewing on the show between Rick and Maggie. Maggie, portrayed by actress Lauren Cohan, who also plans on leaving The Walking Dead this season, disagrees with Rick’s decision to not kill Negan.

Season nine of The Walking Dead premieres on October 7 on AMC.