Several years ago, ‘The Walking Dead’ showrunner Robert Kirkman said that Rick Grimes, the lead character in the zombie drama series played by Andrew Lincoln, "could go anytime."
He said, "I do have plans for him and I know where his story is going, but I promise that Rick will not survive the entire run of the book."
However, looking into the present times in which the AMC series has become highly popular, the comic book creator has become more careful in choosing who will live and who will be killed off in the show.
Last year at a Reddit AMA, Kirkman emphasized that Lincoln’s character could die anytime while the series is running, although it seemed to be more of a tease than a serious statement.
When asked if Rick was safe from dying and turning into a walker, Kirkman said, "Absolutely not," while adding, "Although when I look in Andrew Lincoln's piercing blue eyes, I feel safe."
Meanwhile, Lincoln himself opened up about the possibilities in ‘The Walking Dead’ season six as he discussed the first episode that will be placed within a big action sequence.
"I think that episode 1 is something that people are not going to expect," Lincoln told EW. "I certainly didn't when I read it. And when we filmed it, it just grew and grew and it got deeper and deeper."
The actor also dropped clues about future episodes, saying, "...And I think there are a couple of episodes this season that are certainly some of the best episodes I've read, maybe in a couple of seasons."
Lincoln also shared positive words for showrunner Scott M. Gimple and his approach towards effective storytelling.
"There are more walkers than we've ever faced before. I think the storytelling is astonishing,” the actor said. “Scott has kind of picked up very much where we left off and he's spinning 18 principal storylines in an incredibly complicated and cool way."
Meanwhile, it remains unconfirmed whether the highly anticipated introduction of villain Negan will happen in the sixth season. Rumors continue to circle Kevin Durand as he is rumored to sign on to the series as the great antagonist.
However, the actor recently addressed such speculation and stated that, while it will be a great honor for him to join the show, his filming schedule for ‘Vikings’ and ‘The Strain’ will be a huge obstacle.
“I would love to play Negan, I think Negan is a great character, but I’m just so busy with the vampocalypse and causing chaos in Kattegat on ‘Vikings’ that the only way that can happen is if Negan didn’t come into play for a while,” Durand explained.
Actors who are already confirmed to join the cast in the upcoming season include Merritt Wever (‘Nurse Jackie’), Ethan Embry (‘Grace and Frankie’) and Corey Hawkins (‘Straight Outta Compton’).
‘The Walking Dead’ season six is set to premiere on Oct. 11 on AMC.
