‘The Walking Dead’ Season 9 First Footage Arrives

AMC has released a sneak peek at The Walking Dead season 9 ahead of its full trailer premiere Friday at San Diego Comic-Con.

The 25-second sneak peek highlights future leading man Daryl and Hilltop leader Maggie and teases an all new beginning for the survivors.

Daryl and a blood-soaked Maggie trek through the woods.

“You think you got all this on lock?” says an unseen Negan as Rick overlooks the united communities sat around a peaceful campfire.

“We need to start talking about making some rules,” Michonne tells Maggie. Faces say it all: neither are happy with each other. The controversy of Rick’s decision to spare Negan lingers in the air between them.

“An agreement between all the communities,” Michonne tells the Hilltop leader. “Like, ‘This is how we treat each other… and this is what happens when we don’t.’”

Rick heads through a built-up camp. Rosita does some gun-keeping with Beatrice of Oceanside. A stick-thin tree stump serves as a makeshift direction post. HQ and Sanctuary to the left. Oceanside, Alexandria, and Toledo, Ohio, to the right.

Rick nods to former Saviors Laura and Arat. Kingdom loyalists Jerry and Nabila share a kiss. Daryl socks a big guy, Jed — one of the new season 9 characters played by series newcomer Zach McGowan.

AMC will debut the trailer in full at The Walking Dead‘s annual San Diego Comic-Con presentation Friday afternoon.

Series stars Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Lauren Cohan, Danai Gurira, Melissa McBride, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan will be on hand to present the new season in a panel that includes new showrunner Angela Kang and producers David Alpert, Scott Gimple, Gale Anne Hurd, Greg Nicotero, and creator Robert Kirkman.

Lincoln is poised to exit the series this upcoming half-season.

“He cares about the fans. He cares about the show deeply. He wants to do something special on the way out,” Kirkman told IMDb. “We got something amazing planned. I wouldn’t want to spoil anything, but anybody who’s been a fan of his journey, who loves Rick Grimes, who loves the world of The Walking Dead, you’re going to want to see what we do.”

The Walking Dead returns with its season 9 premiere this October on AMC.