In a show as heavily scrutinized as The Walking Dead, any apparently insignificant move by one of the cast members results in fans coming up with some new theory about what it could mean for the future of the series.
The latest example centres on an update Chandler Riggs – who’s played Rick’s son Carl Grimes since the very beginning of the hit AMC show – gave on his social media, sharing some photos (seen below) that revealed he’s cut his hair for an upcoming role in an unknown movie. Fans will know that this is Riggs’ first major change in appearance in years, as he’s let his own hair grow out with the character’s for a while now.
So, the news that he now has a mullet, for a different role, no less, suggests that he’s putting Carl behind him. As if this wasn’t enough to get the TWD faithful worried, Riggs even went on to jokingly Tweet the official Stranger Things Twitter account, asking for a job.
Could Carl actually be on his way out, though? Well, yeah – in theory, everyone is at risk on the show. Andrew Lincoln has frequently talked about the big deaths that are coming up this season and in particular, he’s hinted that his own character might kick the bucket. But could this have been a bit of clever misdirection to keep fans away from guessing that another Grimes boy would soon be exiting the show?
Possibly, but the news that Riggs has another project in the works doesn’t necessarily mean he has to quit The Walking Dead. He could be shooting this mystery role during a gap in filming. Likewise, a haircut for Carl isn’t exactly difficult to write into the show. Not to mention that he’s still alive in the comic books. The TV series has made some major deviations from the source material in the past, sure, but killing Carl would undoubtedly be one of the biggest.
Anyways, chalk this all up as speculation for now, but be sure to tune in when The Walking Dead‘s midseason finale airs this Sunday on AMC, as we might just get some answers.