Andrew Lincoln Will Reportedly Leave THE WALKING DEAD After Season 9

A new report has surfaced saying that by the end of the ninth season of The Walking Dead, Andrew Lincoln, who plays Rick Grimes, will be "walking away" from the show. I guess it's been a long time coming. He'll come back for one more season before he exits and according to Collider, "fans can only expect to see Lincoln in half-a-dozen episodes of the upcoming season."

They also say that Lauren Cohan, who plays Maggie, will only show up in six episodes as well. There's no word on how exactly Rick will leave. There are a lot of options that Rick could bow out. I'm sure a lot of fans think that he'll just be killed off, but that's something we just don't know. There have been rumors that there will be a time jump from Season 8 to Season 9. We just don't know how much a time jump that it will be. 

The report goes on to say that that "To fill the void in the show’s leading man status, we’re also hearing that AMC has offered substantial compensation to long-running series star Norman Reedus to not only stay on board but to take over the show’s leading role."

So, if you're a fan of Daryl, his role in the story is about to grow even more. The series has had its ups and downs over the years, but I did enjoy how the story played out last season. I'm not sure how many more seasons the show has left in it, but, we'll have to wait and see what happens once Rick is gone. 

What do you think about Lincoln leaving the series and having Reedus take over the male lead in the series? Do you think it's time for Rick to go, or do you want him to stick around a little longer?