Last week,
Walking Dead fans were shocked to learn that star Andrew Lincoln
will be departing the long-running show in season 9. What's more, the actor, who plays lead Rick Grimes, will only reportedly appear in six of the season's episodes.
This has caused some serious doubt in how the show will continue, even though there are reports that Norman Reedus, who plays the fan-favorite Daryl Dixon, is seeking a major pay bump to become the face of
The Walking Dead. According to longtime show director Michael Satrazemis,
The Walking Dead will be
"different" without Lincoln,
"but it will still be great."
In a now-deleted Instagram post, Satrazemis offered the following message in regards to Lincoln's soon-to-be departure from the show:
"Many of us have spent the last 8 yrs of our lives living, working, creating, high fiving, hugging and sometimes even bleeding real blood with Andy," Satrazemis wrote in the post. "All to make something special. He is one of the greatest men I’ve ever met. And a friend. The show will miss him as much as you. It will be different but it will still be great. All of us who love making [The Walking Dead] keep creating our asses off and sometimes even bleed for you.
The Walking Dead is preparing to enter its ninth season and there doesn't appear to be an end in sight. Of course, AMC's decision regarding the future of the show will likely depend on its ratings sans Lincoln. Ratings for
The Walking Dead have waned in recent years, even with the actor, but it still remains an incredibly popular show. Will the loyalists continue to watch once Rick is gone?
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