Daryl Dixon has met his match, it seems.
In anticipation of The Walking Dead returning this Sunday with the hotly-anticipated “Chokepoint,” the Powers That Be over at AMC have dropped a snippet of footage in which series stalwart and all-around fan-favorite Daryl Dixon hones in on his next target – the Whisperer Beta.
Yes, Alpha’s (Samantha Morton) second-in-command has been tasked with exterminating the Hilltop and its ragtag group of survivors, which only raises alarm bells in the camp. Thankfully, based on this first-look teaser for “Chokepoint,” it looks certain that Norman Reedus’ roguish hero will be the one to step up to the plate. Which is just as well, because we all know how dangerous a character Beta can be.
In fact, series showrunner Angela Kang recently outlined the importance of Beta to EW, saying:
Obviously, Beta is a fan favorite in the comics and it’s such a weird role, like this guy never takes his mask off. Our excellent casting directors made a list of different people, and Ryan was on that list.
But how do you cast the faceless man? Carefully, it seems, as Kang turned to The Walking Dead‘s experienced casting directors to nab the perfect actor for Beta. And, well, you certainly can’t fault their decision – so far, at least…
And we were like, ‘Wow, we all love Ryan Hurst. He’s such an interesting guy and also so, so nice.’ And I had such a great call and conversation with him about the role, and we were all just excited, and I’m glad that he was able to come and play with us. He even helped put together a costume for it. He’s so creative and it’s been so much fun. Can’t wait for people to see more. He’s such a lovely, lovely person, and just brings so much badassery to the role, so it’s super-cool for us.
The Walking Dead officially returns with “Chokepoint” this Sunday, March 10th. Don’t miss it.