In the run up to the eighth season of The Walking Dead, the cast and crew have been keen to reinvigorate the show’s stakes. In particular, we’ve heard a fair bit about the possibility that Rick Grimes could be about to meet his end at some point in the future. Fans had always assumed that, as the protagonist, Rick was perhaps the only character who was guaranteed to survive. But when even TWD‘s creator Robert Kirkman is saying he could die, suddenly his future is looking a lot more unsure.
Now, in a new interview, Andrew Lincoln has doubled down on this talk. From his comments, it sounds like he thinks Rick’s death is almost necessary in order to give the audience some resolution.
“There comes a point where there are too many gray hairs on your chin. I think the audience deserves an end game. It’s a lot of time to invest in a story without some kind of resolution. If I was watching it I would want some answers, something, and if that means the demise of a central character or a principal character, then I’m willing to take the medicine.”
This isn’t the first time that Lincoln has seemed to almost champion the idea of Rick kicking the bucket. Recently, the actor even said that The Walking Dead was “beautifully set up” for another character, most likely his son Carl, to take over Rick’s role as protagonist. We’re not saying that Lincoln’s actively looking to say goodbye to the character he’s played for eight seasons now, but it’s clear that he’d be open to the idea of exiting the show at some point.
If Rick was to die this season, that would be a major change from the “All Out War” comic book storyline, which is being adapted in the new run. Evidence suggests he’ll make it through the battle with Negan and the Saviors alive – the “Old Man Rick” scene in the trailer, for one – but we could be wrong. Alternatively, this all might just be a marketing ploy in an attempt to drum up more interest.
One way or another, we’ll find out the truth very soon, as The Walking Dead returns to our screens this Sunday, October 22nd.