Comic-Con 2018: The Walking Dead Season 9 -- Andrew Lincoln Leaving And Everything We Know So Far

For eight seasons, The Walking Dead has followed Rick Grimes and his band of survivors as they traverse a post-apocalyptic landscape filled with animated corpses. These days, though, it's less about the hordes of the dead and more about armies of the living, as groups like the Saviors threaten the existence of the protagonists (spoilers to follow). Season 8 ended on a climactic note, with Negan captured and the saviors beaten, but it also left a Carl-shaped hole in our hearts.

With Comic-Con fast approaching, we want to know what's in store for next season. [SDCC update: We've gotten trailers for both The Walking Dead Season 9 and Fear The Walking Dead Season 4. You can watch those above and below, respectively. More importantly, we learned that Andrew Lincoln is officially leaving the show after Season 9.]

What It's About

So what's up with Season 9? So far, there have not been any major plot details released, but we do know that Andrew Lincoln will reportedly be leaving after it ends. That could mean we'll see some drama as the show begins to position Norman Reedus' Daryl as the main character. In addition, Lauren Cohan will only appear in six episodes, and given the discord between Rick and Maggie over Negan's fate, some sources are reporting that she may even be this season's villain, or at least an enemy of Rick's.

Who's Who

Crew

• Scott Gimple executive produces the show.
• Angela Kang is the new showrunner.

Cast

• Andrew Lincoln (Love Actually) plays Rick, the show's tough but well-intentioned protagonist who finished last season by defeating the Saviors at the cost of many lives.
• Lauren Cohan (Vampire Diaries) plays the hardcore leader of the hilltop, Maggie, who is now on rough terms with Rick because of how badly she wants to kill Negan.
• Norman Reedus (The Boondock Saints) returns as the crossbow-wielding Daryl.
• Danai Gurira (Black Panther) continues the badassery as Michonne, Rick's lady friend.
• Melissa McBride (The Mist) is sticking around to play Carol.
• Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Rampage) is still around as Negan, who is rotting in a cell.
• Lauren Ridloff (Children of a Lesser God) was confirmed by Entertainment Weekly to have been cast in the role of Connie, a deaf survivor who is skilled at reading people. The actor was nominated for a Tony this year.

What's Been Released So Far

So far, there hasn't been much media released from AMC about the next season of The Walking Dead, but we do know some information about it.

As its ratings declined, the show hired a new showrunner, Angela Kang, who reports that this season will focus on its female characters and will begin some time after Season 8 ended. The show will also be adding a new character named Connie who is hearing-impaired, a departure from her character in the comics. Considering all the cast shake-ups occurring next season, we're expecting some pretty major changes to the show.

What We Want At Comic-Con

The Walking Dead has a released trailers at Comic-Con in the past, so we're hoping that they will do that this year and give us a first look at the new season.

We know that Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Danai Gurira, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, showrunner Angela Kang, and Scott Gimple (among other executive producers) will attend a panel on Friday at 12:15. They will reportedly give a sneak peak into the new season as well as discuss it.

We would love it if they dropped a trailer and gave us a better idea of what Maggie and Rick's roles will be, given their role adjustments in the coming season. Other than that, we'll have to wait until the season premieres in October.