Walking Dead star wishes his exit hadn't been spoiled
It's official – Andrew Lincoln is leaving The Walking Dead. The cast and crew finally 100% confirmed his departure at San Diego Comic-Con, despite the fact that it was widely reported in the media more than a month ago.
And the Rick Grimes star admitted that he wishes his shock exit had remained a secret.
Speaking at Comic-Con to Entertainment Weekly, Lincoln said that he's not a fan of spoilers.
"There is a certain sense of relief this morning," he said of the news being made official. "But I still regret that the story broke, because I believe in story and I think it would have been... It's going to be a great season, but it would have been greater if it was not spoiled to a degree."
There is also speculation that Norman Reedus is being lined up as the new lead for the show – but the actor, who plays Daryl Dixon, denied that this was the case.
"You can't take Rick's place in the show. That's not even possible," he said. "Everybody's branching off and doing different things [this season], but everybody's playing their same characters.
"Nobody's like, 'I'm the lead now' – we don't really talk like that on this show."
Also in San Diego, Lincoln hinted that he might already have filmed his final Walking Dead episodes, suggesting an early exit for Rick since season nine is expected to shoot through late 2018.
Oscar nominee and BAFTA winner Samantha Morton will join The Walking Dead this season to play Alpha, leader of new threat The Whisperers, with the new season set to premiere on October 7 on AMC in the US and shortly afterwards on FOX and NOW TV in the UK.
Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @digitalspy Instagram and Twitter account.
('You Might Also Like',)
