Former Walking Dead Star Michael Cudlitz Teases Abraham Ford Return

Former Walking Dead star Michael Cudlitz on Sunday hinted at his return to TWD Universe as Abraham Ford.

In response to a fan’s tweet demanding an “Abraham/Walking Dead back story series,” Cudlitz tweeted the “direct hit” emoji, which depicts a dart striking the bullseye region of a dartboard.

Cudlitz earlier hinted he would be reappearing as Abe during a January convention appearance, where Cudlitz appeared as part of a panel alongside recent Fear the Walking Dead additions Jenna Elfman, Mo Collins and Austin Amelio.

“Who knows, maybe there’ll be flashbacks? I guess on your guys’ show, there were some tapes that were shown and one of the tapes said ‘Abe-slash-Doctor,’ which would be Abraham Ford and Doctor Eugene Porter according to [creator] Robert Kirkman, so they could certainly go down that road,” Cudlitz said in reference to an Easter egg that revealed Althea (Maggie Grace) once conducted a video interview with Abe and Eugene (Josh McDermitt).

“Not saying they said anything about it or not, but probably not, so I think we’ll stop talking about that,” Cudlitz added. “Never mind.”

In March, Cudlitz said his on-screen return was “very, very possible.”

“I don’t know. The show has sort of laid out in its history, the way they tell stories, is through flashbacks and origin stories,” Cudlitz told Strahan and Sara when asked if reprising his role was a possibility. “There’s still characters on the show that were very close with Abraham that he had history with. So we could very easily go back.”

In the months since, Fear hinted Daniel Salazar (Rubén Blades) and Abe are old friends, a dynamic that could play out in a rumored spinoff movie teaming Abe and Daniel.

“They’re also doing other movies, which are gonna move through time — go back in time, go forward in time — and I believe pair up characters that weren’t necessarily paired up in the graphic novels,” added Cudlitz. “It’s a strong, subtle yes. Very, very possible.”

Pieces of Abe’s backstory were touched on in The Walking Dead Season 5, where flashbacks revealed the Army sergeant alienated and then lost his family in the early days of the apocalypse. Abe became suicidal after learning his wife and two children were devoured by walkers, but found a new sense of purpose when he saved Eugene, who claimed his big brain was the key to curing the zombie apocalypse.

Cudlitz serves as director on two TWD Season 10 episodes after making his directorial debut on the series with Season 9 episode “Stradivarius.” Season 10 premieres Sunday, October 6 on AMC.