Things have been looking bleak for The Walking Dead‘s King Ezekiel for quite some time. Suffering from suspected thyroid cancer in a world where advanced medical treatment is in short supply, it seems his days on the show might be numbered. And fans who were hoping for some kind of miracle cure or a better prognosis will be disappointed to hear that the actor who plays Ezekiel has landed a major role elsewhere, hinting that he won’t be sticking around for much longer.
Khary Payton, who stars as the dreadlocked Kingdom leader, has just been cast in another Robert Kirkham adaptation, Amazon’s Invincible. He’ll be voicing a recurring character in the animated series alongside an all-star cast that includes Zazie Beetz, J.K. Simmons, Mark Hamill, Seth Rogen and fellow Walking Dead favourite Steven Yeun. As such, it sounds like he’s about to have a lot less time to dedicate to his role as Ezekiel, if any at all.
News of Payton’s new venture, which was shared by Kirkman on Twitter, has sparked rumors that his death in the AMC series is imminent. Could he go out fighting or succumb to his illness in the coronavirus-delayed season 10 finale? Several fans on social media were already predicting exactly that, and the Invincible casting news only strengthens this theory.
https://twitter.com/ZalMiki/status/1251068537055203329
I'm 99% sure that Ezekiel is going to die in this episode. He doesn't sound too good. #TWD
— King Crowley (@TrueKingOfHell) April 5, 2020
Fans won’t have too long to wait to learn the character’s fate in season 10, as AMC is expected to announce a belated air date for episode 16 at Comic-Con@Home on July 24th. If Ezekiel does meet his maker in the series finale, here’s hoping we haven’t seen the last of him. Surely there will be a potential cameo on the cards in the upcoming Rick Grimes movies, which are expected to make use of flashback sequences to pay tribute to other fallen characters such as Carl Grimes and Shane Walsh. Ezekiel should, after all, be remembered as one of the show’s greats.