Photo Credit: AMC
When rumors began circulating that Carl Grimes was going to be killed off last season, the majority of fans immediately went into denial. They laughed at the idea, called it “fake news,” and ridiculed the few who chose to believe it. Until it actually happened, and they got a rude awakening. Well, the same thing has been brewing in the fandom since news broke of Andrew Lincoln’s likely exit in season 9, after deciding not to renew his contract when it expired at the end of last season. Unfortunately, it appears this news is turning out to be on point as well.
In an interview with filmmaker Kevin Smith for IMdb at Comic-Con, Kirkman says with a laugh, “It’s looking that way,” when asked if Season 9 will be Lincoln’s last. It’s the first public confirmation of the news that was first reported by Collider back in May, with Lincoln set to appear in only a half-dozen episodes of AMC’s zombie thriller next season before exiting the show for good.
Since Lincoln’s character Rick is still alive and well in the Walking Dead comics, Kirkman admits that his departure “does make the differences between the comic and the show a little bit more pronounced.” But he supports Lincoln’s decision: “This is somebody that I’ve known for almost a decade, somebody that I love… he’s been sweating in Georgia away from his family for so long.”
Regardless, Lincoln’s exit no doubt will make moving forward a lot more difficult for the series. In the comics, Carl is slowly beginning to replace his father as the survival groups’ combined leader, and for several seasons, it appeared the television series was heading in the same direction. But, with Carl being abruptly killed off in last season’s mid-season premiere, the future of the zombie drama is now quite uncertain.
Season 9 of The Walking Dead — featuring Rick Grimes’ swan song as well as 2 major time jumps — premieres this October on AMC. The Season 9 trailer, as well as its premiere date, will be released tomorrow, and so, be sure to check back with the site then for more details.
