The Walking Dead is set for a big return later tonight, with season 9 about to get underway. Not only will it bring about the exits of both Rick and Maggie, but it’ll also be the first run overseen by new showrunner Angela Kang, who promises to take the hit zombie series back to its glory days.
But as exciting as all that is, this new season will also be overshadowed by a sense of sadness, as late last night we lost actor Scott Wilson. As fans know, he played Hershel Greene on the show for a couple of seasons and was also set to return this year – presumably in the form of a flashback or hallucination.
From what we understand, he’d already filmed his scenes before passing, so he’ll still pop up at some point, and as AMC said in their official statement on his death, he’ll certainly be missed.
“Scott will always be remembered as a great actor and we all feel fortunate to have known him as an even better person. The character he embodied on The Walking Dead, Hershel, lived at the emotional core of the show,” said AMC’s statement. “Like Scott in our lives, Hershel was a character whose actions continue to inform our character’s choices to this day. Our hearts go out to his wife, his family, friends and to the millions of fans who loved him. Scott will be missed.”
Meanwhile, Skybound, who publishes The Walking Dead comics, added the following:
“We are deeply saddened to report that Scott Wilson, the incredible actor who played Hershel on #TheWalkingDead, has passed away at the age of 76,” the statement reads. “Our thoughts are with his family and friends. Rest in paradise, Scott. We love you!”
Though he only lasted for a few seasons, Hershel remains one of the more memorable characters to come out of The Walking Dead and we certainly look forward to seeing him one last time when he shows up this season. Apparently, that’ll be at some point in the first half, but details on his return beyond that haven’t been disclosed. As always, though, watch this space for more.