The Walking Dead: Norman Reedus Tried to Get Andrew Lincoln to Stay

Andrew Lincoln has been the face of The Walking Dead since the show started back in 2010, but now he's set to bow out of the series this upcoming Season 9. Norman Reedus is set to become the new lead of the show, and he reveals that he actually tried to convince Lincoln to stay on.

Talking to ComicBook, Reedus explains:

"He told me like ages in advance and, of course, I tried to talk him out of it and, ‘Move your family to New York! I'm in New York, you know it's an hour and a half!' I did all of the tricks but I understood why he left, you know, I get it. I totally get it. He had two kids and you live a million miles away."

While a lot of fans are sad to see Lincoln go, at least the consolation is his character Rick gets to have some peace and quiet before he actually gets sent off. It's said that The Walking Dead 9 will see a significant time jump after the battle with the saviors, and we'll get to see Rick a year later after he loses Carl.

As for Negan's fate, it seems that he's going to play out pretty much like it did in the comics. In the comics, Rick spares Negan, but keeps him a prisoner for life in order to show how society can flourish without Negan's barbaric politics.

No announcement has been made on who will be the prime antagonist now that Negan is incapacitated, but a lot of people guess that we'll finally be able to meet The Whisperers, humans who wear walker outfits and mingle along with the dead harmlessly; what's dangerous about them is they know how to herd walkers and can have enemies overrun with the dead whenever they please.

The Walking Dead 9 premieres on AMC Oct. 7.

See Also: Rick Gets His Own Lucille in The Walking Dead 9 Promo