The Walking Dead Shocker: Andrew Lincoln Poised to Depart

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Andrew Lincoln's tenure on AMC's The Walking Dead is coming to an end. 

According to Collider, Lincoln will be leaving the hit drama during The Walking Dead Season 9, and it sounds like his big exit will occur during the first half of the season. 

The report states that he is likely to appear in just six episodes of the upcoming season, which is expected to debut in October. 

Gulp. 

Could you imagine The Walking Dead without Rick Grimes? It's a scary thought, but it might actually give the show a jolt of life. 

If you watch The Walking Dead online, you know the show's quality has not been great of late, what with the battle between the Saviors and the main characters being dragged out for dear life. 

Related: Lauren Cohan Lands Lead Role on ABC Pilot

While AMC or Andrew Lincoln has yet to confirm the news, Collider is a reliable website, so it's very likely that this news is true. 

Lauren Cohan Attends Event

Lincoln's co-star, Lauren Cohan is also poised to depart during the upcoming season. Cohan was trying to reach a deal with the show for some time and recently signed up to return in a part-time capacity. 

She also landed the lead role on ABC's Whiskey Cavalier, which complicated things somewhat.

There's no confirmation whether Maggie's story will be brought to a close definitely, but it would be tough to lose two of the show's biggest stars in the same season. 

One person who isn't going anywhere is Norman Reedus. The Collider report goes as far as saying that AMC has offered Reedus "substantial compensation" to remain on the show and take over the leading role. 

Reedus has long been a fan favorite, so this will likely be met with a great response from the fans. 

Related: The Walking Dead Renewed for Season 9!

Still, it's difficult to imagine what The Walking Dead will look like without Andrew Lincoln. 

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Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.

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