Will Dwight Return in ‘The Walking Dead’ Season 9?

Former Savior Dwight (Austin Amelio) plays a meaty role during the post-war story arc in the pages [...]

Former Savior Dwight (Austin Amelio) plays a meaty role during the post-war story arc in the pages of The Walking Dead comic books, but the exiled bowman could be a no-show in the show's ninth season.

After betraying the hated Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and serving as secret mole to help Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and the Alexandrians topple the Saviors, Dwight was nearly executed in the season 8 finale before he was ultimately banished by nemesis Daryl (Norman Reedus).

The loner then set off in search of missing wife Sherry (Christine Evangelista) and discovered a left-behind note marked 'D.' In it, only the word "Honeymoon" and an infinity symbol, hinting at reconnecting down the line.

Former five-season showrunner Scott Gimple — since elevated to Chief Content Officer of the Walking Dead brand for AMC — cryptically told TV Line in April Dwight is still alive, but wouldn't commit to a down-the-line return.

"I will say definitively, he's not dead, so you never know," Gimple said. "But I shan't go deeper into it than that."

Following Morgan's (Lennie James) jump from the flagship series to spinoff Fear The Walking Dead, speculation arose Dwight could similarly resurface in the sister show — but a second survivor from the other side of the country coincidentally running across Morgan and his new friends stretches believability, even for the Walking Dead universe.

Asked at San Diego Comic-Con if The Walking Dead's year-plus time jump in season 9 rules out future cross pollination between both series, Gimple answered, "It does not."

"That's about all I got to say. It does not but I wouldn't expect it all the time. Things could happen," Gimple said. "You never know who might pop up on Fear The Walking Dead. That includes The Walking Dead and potentially people in the past from Fear The Walking Dead."

Dwight then joins a small but growing club of missing-but-not-confirmed-dead characters: of The Walking Dead camp, the most notable is Heath (Corey Hawkins) — who creator Robert Kirkman said during Comic-Con the show hasn't forgotten about — and Fear's Daniel Salazar (Rubén Blades), who is also confirmed to still be "alive and out there."

Amelio told ComicBook.com Sherry's note "absolutely" gives Dwight "a little more juice" moving forward, but that renewed hope of finding Sherry isn't the only thing driving the redemption-seeking Dwight into the future.

"I think it's a huge part of the storyline. I think that's definitely on the forefront for sure, but I think Dwight has seen stuff that he needs to get done in order to feel whole again. One of those is finding Sherry," Amelio said.

"The other stuff, I think some of the other things he wants to concentrate on, is putting some good back in the world, too. Whatever that means. I don't know. No one tells me sh-t. I think there is more than just the Sherry road, but I think that is definitely really important to his storyline."

In the comics, Dwight famously took over the reformed Saviors following ousted leader Negan's dethroning. In the show, the Sanctuary is now aligned with Alexandria and other communities — and mostly getting along. Former Negan general Regina (Traci Dinwiddle) and Saviors Arat (Elizabeth Ludlow) and Laura (Lindsley Register) can be spotted in the season 9 trailer trading smiles with Rick and his people, but it still remains to be seen if the new Sanctuary has a designated leader.

Dwight could resurface with the emergence of the series' newest threat — the Whisperers, who are on the way this season — or he could potentially take part in one of the in-the-works Walking Dead spinoffs Gimple said he hopes to soon announce.

The Walking Dead season 9 premieres Sunday, October 7 on AMC.

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