The Walking Dead Casting Two New Characters For Season 8

Heading into a new season of The Walking Dead, fans are usually clamoring over the new characters they will meet when a fresh batch of episodes begins to grace their Sunday nights. For Season 8, the excitement and curiosity regarding new cast members hasn’t been what it was before.

With Season 7 having introduced groups such as the Saviors, the Kingdom, and the junkyard’s Scavengers, it seems like there might not even be any space left for new faces. Season 8, however, is casting a pair of new characters who will debut when the AMC series returns in the fall.

The following characters will make their debut in The Walking Dead Season 8, though the actors playing them have yet to be revealed.

Dillon

The first character being cast by the team behind AMC’s The Walking Dead is Dillon.

According to TVLine‘s report, Dillon is described as “a sexy, blue-collar twentysomething whose survival skills include sarcasm.”

This sounds like a few other faces seen previously on the AMC series. Names like Nicholas, Spencer, and Aiden ring bells. One other thing they all have in common: they’re dead. However, the report points out that of the two characters coming to the series, only one is expected to become prominent for seasons beyond the next.

“Not only does Dillon sound like a less jerky Spencer, but the casting notice for the roles hints that the actor chosen might get picked up for subsequent seasons,” the report said.

There are no characters in The Walking Dead comics going by the name of Dillon but roles like Nicholas have not been killed off by this point in the books. It is likely this role will be a combination of a few names from Robert Kirkman’s source material which also provides a fresh story for television.

Abbud

The second character is being cast under the name of Abbud.

“Abbud, an innately likable Muslim American whose nerves are, let’s say, jangled, because he’s flown solo for too long in zombieland,” the report said. “Of the pair, the former is likelier to survive the looming conflict.”

Abbud is another character unique to television, though he will likely draw from one comic book counterpart or another. The first Muslim American character, Nabila, appeared on The Walking Dead late in the seventh season when King Ezekiel was approached by a woman within his Kingdom. While the possibility of Abbud belonging to any of the remaining communities exists, the safe bet is that he will call the diverse and prosperous Kingdom home.

One possibility based on the comics is Abbud filling the role of Marcus, a Kingdom soldier, or even stepping in for the void left by Corey Hawkins’ exit from the show as Heath in favor of 24: Legacy.

More Walking Dead

As for when either of the two new characters will debut on the AMC series, there is no word just yet. Production on the Season 8 premiere, which is the 100th episode (directed by executive producer Greg Nicotero, as ComicBook.com broke earlier this week), began on April 25.

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The Walking Dead will return for its eighth season in October of 2017. The first trailer is expected to arrive at San Diego Comic Con in July. For complete coverage and insider info all off-season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.