The Walking Dead lost its leading man when Andrew Lincoln bowed out of the show in the early part of season 9. That said, while we’ve yet to see him as Rick Grimes again, we know he’s due for a major comeback as the protagonist of his own movie trilogy, which will explore what happened next after he was taken away in a chopper by Jadis. He’s no longer a regular on the show, then, but Lincoln clearly remains committed to the franchise.
So, it only makes sense that we’re hearing he could return to the series eventually for its last ever episode. We’ve heard a few times now that TWD will likely end after its twelfth season, meaning that – though we’ve still got two more years to go – the end is in sight. What’s more, our sources have also told us that there are plans to bring Lincoln back for a cameo in the series finale.
According to our intel, the finale will feature a big flash-forward which will include a return from Rick in some capacity, tying into the storyline of the movies in the process. It’s currently unclear how it will all line up, but sources say AMC has had early talks with the British actor about bringing him back for this special final installment. And given that these are the same sources who also told us Justice League Dark and Green Lantern shows were coming to HBO Max, Han was returning for Fast & Furious 9 and a new Scream movie is in development, all of which turned out to be correct, we’ve no reason to doubt them.
Of course, comic book readers will know that Rick dies in the penultimate issue of Robert Kirkman’s source material, with the last issue then jumping forward many years into the future to see how his family and friends turn out. The TV universe has always played around with events from the comic books, though, so it should be no surprise that this will be given a twist, too, and Rick will remain alive by the end of the show.
Remember, though the parent series is potentially ending soon, the franchise isn’t. After all, multiple new spinoffs are in the works, including solo vehicles for Michonne and Daryl. For now, however, The Walking Dead is currently on hiatus and it’s unclear when it might return. But we should be seeing the current season’s finale by the end of the year. We just hope it’s sooner rather than later.