AMC’s The Walking Dead has typically followed the major arcs of the comic book series pretty closely, which means we likely know where things will be headed in season 9 and beyond. Once the threat of Negan is dealt with in the “All-Out War” arc, for example, the next big evil Rick and his allies have to face is the Whisperers, a group of survivors who have grown savage and inhuman, most notably wearing zombie skins over their faces.
Certain easter eggs and references seem to support the idea that the Whisperers will be coming to TV eventually, but we still haven’t got a clear idea of when. As they chatted with showrunner Scott Gimple though, TVLine took the opportunity to try and clarify the mystery by asking if he could confirm when the group would materialize.
Unfortunately, the writer wouldn’t reveal much, but did go so far as to say fans shouldn’t expect them in season 8. Still, he promised that they are “absolutely on the menu. I just wouldn’t necessarily say for this season or even exactly when.”
That makes sense to us. If things play out roughly how we think they will, the Saviors will be bested by the Alexandrians and the rest by the end of season 8. As per the comics, and those flash-forwards we’ve been seeing, season 9 will then jump forward slightly in time. This should then set the path for the Whisperers to emerge sometime next year. So, Gimple could be deliberately keeping quiet as he knows the villains are right around the corner.
On the other hand, maybe he really doesn’t plan to use them that soon and doesn’t want fans to get their hopes up. After all, Carl Grimes’ upcoming death has reminded us that TWD is free to change whatever it likes when adapting the source material. As such, all we can really do right now is sit tight and wait to see what happens.
The Walking Dead season 8 will return this Sunday, February 25th, with its midseason premiere. Just don’t expect to see any signs of the Whisperers when it does.
