Andrew Lincoln confirms season 9 exit from The Walking Dead
By Derek Johns
During yesterday’s The Walking Dead panel at San Diego Comic-Con in Hall H, star Andrew Lincoln finally confirmed he would be leaving the show after season 9.
During the panel for The Walking Dead, Lincoln had this to say “This will be my last season playing the part of Rick Grimes. I love this show. It means everything to me. I love the people who make this show.”
Lincoln then added “I promised not to cry. I’ve done enough crying onscreen. This has been the most extraordinary, amazing, and beautiful experience of my career.”
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At the end of the panel, co-star Norman Reedus led the cast and the audience in a standing ovation to an emotional Lincoln for his nine years of service to the show.
While this news is sure to sadden countless fans, it probably didn’t come as much of a surprise.
Lincoln has been heavily rumored to be leaving the show for the last couple of months, so for many, the writing was already on the wall.
It has also been rumored that AMC has been looking to Reedus to fill the leading man void that would be left by Lincoln. AMC has reportedly offered him a substantial pay raise to the tune of as much as $20 million.
Next: Trailer for The Walking Dead season 9 gets Comic-Con premiere
Season 9 will premiere sometime in October, likely shortly after season 4 of Fear the Walking Dead concludes. Despite Lincoln’s departure and Maggie Cohen’s rumored exit, it looks like the series will be introducing a myriad of new characters in season 9.
Now that Lincoln has confirmed his exit from The Walking Dead, what are your feelings toward it? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section.