The Walking Dead: World Beyond Star Hints Her Character Knows What Happened to Rick Grimes

The Walking Dead: World Beyond star Julia Ormond hints her character, Lieutenant Colonel Elizabeth Kublek of the Civic Republic Military, might know a thing or two about what happened to the missing Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln). Rick vanished from The Walking Dead aboard a CRM helicopter alongside Anne (Pollyanna McIntosh), who was secretly in contact with this clandestine organization while acting as Scavenger leader Jadis. Anne urged CRM to shuttle Rick to safety, and the pair will next return in a planned trilogy of Walking Dead feature films taking place in a new corner of the zombie apocalypse: Philadelphia, as hinted by the first film's early teaser trailer.

"If Elizabeth knows where Rick is, I'm not sure that she would tell you. And if Elizabeth tells you, I'm not sure that you should believe her," Ormond said during Comic-Con@Home's World Beyond virtual panel. "And I, Julia, am not going to say anything because I'd like to keep my job."

Elizabeth's secrecy is especially suspect to teen apocalypse survivor Hope (Alexa Mansour), who sticks a literal and figurative middle finger at CRM over their presence at the Nebraska Campus Colony where she lives with adoptive sister Iris (Aliyah Royale).

There's something Elizabeth isn't saying about the girls' father — CRM-connected professor and scientist Leo Bennett (Joe Holt) — and Hope is going to find out what, even if it means going on a dangerous cross-country trip with Iris and first-time explorer buddies Elton (Nicolas Cantu) and Silas (Hal Cumpston).

The fifth season of Fear the Walking Dead confirmed CRM will silence or kill anyone who stands in the way of their mission — to secure the future and rebuild the world as it was before the apocalypse — and the high-ranking Elizabeth has been described by Ormond as a "pragmatic" and "community leader" type hyper-focused on restoring humanity ten years post-outbreak.

"For me, the pragmatism that some of the characters have is really about devoting yourself to the future of the human race — not even the planet," Ormond previously told the AMC Blog. "The planet is going to survive, but it's the human race that's at risk. What role do you take? What tactics do you sign up for? At some point, the buck has to stop somewhere."

The Walking Dead: World Beyond airs its series premiere Sunday, October 4 on AMC immediately following The Walking Dead Season 10 finale. Both episodes were previously scheduled to air back-to-back in April before being delayed amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The untitled Rick Grimes movie remains undated. For all things TWD, follow the author @CameronBonomolo on Twitter.