After months of speculation,
Robert Kirkman (creator of the Walking Dead comic/source material and executive producer of the tv show) has confirmed that series lead Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes) is leaving the show during the upcoming ninth season.Kirkman was asked about the rumors during an interview for imdb conducted by Kevin Smith. He started out trying to hedge a bit, saying "It's looking that way" before just straight up acknowledging it.
"It does make the differences between the comic and the show more pronounced. But at the end of the day, it's all about Andrew Lincoln. This is a human being. This is someone I have known for almost a decade, somebody that I love. He's been sweating in Georgia, away from his family, for so long." (Lincoln has a wife and two kids, ages 8 and 11, who spend most of the year in England for the kids' school).
"[Lincoln] cares about the fans. He cares about the show deeply. He wants to do something special on the way out. We have something amazing planned. I wouldn't want to spoil anything, but anybody who has been a fan of his journey, who loves Rick Grimes, who loves the world of The Walking Dead, you're going to want to see what we do."
Norman Reedus (Daryl) is believed to be taking over as series lead.
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