'The Walking Dead' Creator Spoiled Rick Grimes' Death on Reddit Over Two Years Ago
While some The Walking Dead fans are still reeling from the shock of Rick Grimes's impending [...]
While some The Walking Dead fans are still reeling from the shock of Rick Grimes's impending death, a fair number are instead recalling that time, over two years ago, that series creator Robert Kirkman told them it was coming.
Shortly before the series' seventh season began, Kirkman did a Reddit AMA where, when asked whether Rick might be mortal, he gave a glib-but-revealing answer.
"Do Rick die?" asks Reddit user maxforce54 during a Reddit AMA with The Walking Dead's writer and creator. "He do eventually," Kirkman responds, mocking the question's grammar.
Rick isn't special, though; later in the AMA, though, Kirkman answered another question with, "They all die eventually."
"No one is safe" has long been the mantra of The Walking Dead in the comics, although up to this point, Rick Grimes and his son Carl have managed to survive the brutal world of the series.
On TV, though, Carl has already died and now, with no son to look after, it seems like Rick's narrative arc might be finished. Ironically, Carl's sister Judith (who may or may not be Rick's child) died almost immediately after her birth in the comics, but has managed to survive in the live-action sphere for years.
Series star Andrew Lincoln seems to have been the one to decide the timing; the actor, whose contract is up, will be exiting the series after eight years in season 9, where Rick will be "phased out" in just a half-dozen more episodes.
Co-star Norman Reedus — who plays Rick Grimes' brother-in-arms and right hand man Daryl Dixon — was the first to publicly react to the news, sharing to Instagram a photo of the two embraced in a hug. Reedus is reportedly negotiating a $20 million payday to take over the lead role from Lincoln.
Lauren Cohan, who plays Maggie, will also reportedly exit the series in the coming, ninth season, although there has been some speculation that she will not die but will instead relocate to another settlement, leaving the survivors with whom she has shared her life since the pilot behind.
The Walking Dead will return for its ninth season in October. It is likely that Lincoln (and Rick Grimes) will leave the series with its December midseason finale.
