Social media is buzzing with the rumor of Andrew Lincoln walking out on The Walking Dead and his role as Rick Grimes after Season 9. Does this spell the end of AMC’s hit series? 

The Walking Dead has had their fair share of farewells, but none that will hit hard for fans with talks of Andrew Lincoln’s departure. The graphic novels and television adaptation are centric on the character of Rick Grimes. So where will the show go from here? The Walking Dead is already taking hard hits to characters in Season 9 from Lauren Cohen’s role as Maggie Green only slated for six episodes in the upcoming season.

The Walking Dead franchise could have passed the torch to Rick Grimes’s son, Carl Grimes. But the writers and producers of Season 8 tossed the graphic novels out the window by killing off the crucial character. Without the fearless leader to head the group fans will ultimately opt out of the series.

Andrew Lincoln’s possible departure comes down to versatility and opportunity to expand outside The Walking Dead Universe. AMC is already in talks for spin-off series within The Walking Dead Universe and with Fear of The Walking Dead’s crossover success. AMC will inevitably look to expand the franchise and cash in on the TWD fandom. So will AMC decide to end the series after Season 9 or will the franchise that made the network a household name continue to drag the series? Guess we will have to wait and see come July when it is likely that the cast will make an appearance at San Diego Comic Con to address the series.