Chandler Riggs Thought Scott Gimple Was Joking About 'The Walking Dead' Shocking Twist

Warning: This Article Contains Massive Spoilers!

The Walking Dead mid-season 8 finale dropped a massive bomb on fans, when it was confirmed in the final moments of the episode that Carl is indeed facing a death sentence, after receiving a fatal bite from a walker. You may be surprised to know that of all the people surprised by the final reveal of this latest episode ("How It's Gotta Be), the person most shocked by it was probably Carl Grimes actor Chandler Riggs!

Speaking with EW, Riggs was asked the standard question of how he reacted when first learning he was going to be the next character on the show to die. That's when we got this surprising response:

"I honestly thought he was joking the first time he said it, because Scott has a pretty good sense of humor and we joke around a lot. So I thought he was joking. When I realized he wasn't, it was quite the shocker, because I was really looking forward to the story arc from the comic book with another group, the Whisperers. Carl has a really, really cool interaction with one of the members of that whole group and I was super excited to do that whole story line."

That answer makes it sound like the young actor is somewhat bittersweet about how his character arc is coming to an end. Clearly Riggs heard that negativity in his own tone, because he just as quickly flipped it around to highlight the rich opportunity the death of Carl will afford him:

"...in terms of typecasting and my career, it's the best move for me. For my acting career in general, it's definitely not going to end up being a bad thing. I'm super stoked to be doing bigger things and other things I haven't had a chance to do before."

As The Walking Dead takes its winter hiatus, fans are buzzing like crazy about Carl's fate and what it means to the show. There was some speculation that Rick could die in season 8, but the switch of having Carl deviate so far from his comic book counterpart (as in: dying) is sure to rock the show in some pretty fundamental ways.

For fans who have been complaining about Carl since season 1: this truly is Christmas.

The Walking Dead returns for the second half of its eighth season on February 25, 2018. For complete coverage and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.