'The Walking Dead's Danai Gurira Says No One Will Replace Andrew Lincoln

The Walking Dead star Andrew Lincoln might be gone but he will never be forgotten or replaced according to Michonne actress Danai Gurira.

"There's no replacing him," Gurira told EW. "There's no just getting over it." Lincoln will exit the show after five episodes in Season Nine, prompting the cast's San Diego Comic Con conversation to often be centered around his exit.

"It is something that, of course, our characters are dealing with as we deal with it," Gurira said. "So it's kind of in very clear emotional synchronicity with our characters right now because the loss is felt by them and by us. But the beauty is, we're family, and he created the TWDfamily with a few other folks. So we get to still have him as family, and that's a beautiful thing."

While fans will inevitably speculate over which character will fill Rick's shoes, the show's fearless leader since its earliest episode, the cast convey a point that there is no one who can accomplish such a move -- as a character or a co-star. "Andy is a quintessential leader," Gurira said. "I believe, and I know I'm right, that he's the best leading man on television. There's something so beautiful about his form of leadership, and it does come from those first moments that you're on the set. You are welcomed into the family and he is right there, present, loving, generous, kind, supportive. So you immediately feel that there's someone, the leader, that wants you to succeed and is thrilled when you do. That can only make you better, and Andy can only teach you how to be better to others as well."

In the end, all the cast can do is honor Lincoln and his Rick Grimes characters (which Negan actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan opened up about while visiting ComicBook.com's studio at Comic Con). "He's left us with the example of how to carry on because he gave such a beautiful example himself," Gurira said. "I couldn't say enough amazing things about this man, quite honestly. I always say, 'Was he hatched from an egg?' Because you don't meet enough people like him that often. It's been a beautiful journey to have spent time with this man and to have learned from his example."

Fear the Walking Dead returns for the back half of its fourth season on August 12th at 9 pm ET on AMC. The Walking Dead returns for its ninth season on October 7, 2018. For more updates and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter!