'The Walking Dead' Could Bring Rick Back With New Theory

A fan theory for Andrew Lincoln's departure from The Walking Dead is claiming that his Rick Grimes character could return in similar fashion to a character from the comics.

With Lincoln set to exit in the upcoming ninth season, many are curious of whether or not Rick will be killed in true Walking Dead fashion. Of course, there remains a possibility Rick has an open-ended exit, which many suspect given Lincoln's claim of his "relationship with Rick Grimes" being "far from over."

A Reddit user shared a theory using knowledge of Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead comic which puts Rick in Michonne's place, allowing him to disappear for a while before making an eventual return.

"So, as we all know, the show will sometimes stick with the source material, or sometimes change the time or people involved in a way an event plays out," Ninjahitman19's theory says. "What if Rick leaves the group the way Michonne does in the comic? Andrew Lincoln has been hinting around that he won't stay gone, so maybe he convinced AMC to give him a little of a break to go away, then to come back... If the show can stand without him, the news of him returning would certainly cause a surge in viewers, so it could also make sense from a marketing standpoint."

Many fans who read Ninjahitman19's theory deemed it plausible. In The Walking Dead comics, Michonne is nowhere to be found after issue #126 concludes the All Out War story. She eventually returns in a later issue, having taken up residence at the Oceanside community. At the time, the Oceanside community had not yet been introduced.

Furthering the theory because an Oceanside disappearance seems unlikely, Michonne does elect to stay at the Commonwealth community in issues which followed the Whisperer War. Following the New World Order arc, Michonne is introduced to the community of more than 50,000 survivors and elects to stay there after discovering her daughter was alive and well here.

Could Rick mysteriously disappear to the Commonwealth, allowing for the Alexandria communities to build, thrive, go to war with the Whisperers, and grow in his absence? This would leave the door open for a return in the future, be it on the TV series or in one of the movies AMC is working to create.

What do you think of Ninjahitman19's theory for Rick's exit from The Walking Dead? Leave your thoughts in the comment section.

Fear the Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC. The Walking Dead returns for its ninth season on Oct. 7, 2018. For more updates and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter!