‘Walking Dead’ Creator Robert Kirkman Confirms Andrew Lincoln’s Exit As Rick Grimes

Andrew Lincoln’s departure from The Walking Dead has officially been confirmed by creator Robert Kirkman. Kirkman recently appeared at Comic-Con and announced that fans will be seeing the last of Rick Grimes in the upcoming Season 9 of the show.

According to a July 19 report by Just Jared, rumors that Andrew Lincoln would be leaving The Walking Dead have been spreading like wildfire, and now they’ve been confirmed. Robert Kirkman addressed the speculation during an interview with Kevin Smith at Comic-Con this week and announced Rick’s departure from the storyline.

“It’s looking that way,” Robert Kirkman said after being asked if Rick Grimes was really leaving the show. “It does make the differences between the comic and the show more pronounced,” but at the end of the day, it’s all about Andrew Lincoln. “This is a human being. This is someone I have known for almost a decade, somebody that I love. He’s been sweating in Georgia, away from his family, for so long.”

Kirkman went on to reveal that Lincoln as a deep love for The Walking Dead and its fans, and that he wants to go out with a bang, meaning there is “something amazing planned” to send him off. Robert promises fans that they’re going to want to see Rick’s last stand on the show, as it’s going to be something special.

“He cares about the fans. He cares about the show deeply. He wants to do something special on the way out. We have something amazing planned. I wouldn’t want to spoil anything, but anybody who has been a fan of his journey, who loves Rick Grimes, who loves the world of The Walking Dead, you’re going to want to see what we do.”

As previously reported by the Inquisitr, fans of The Walking Dead may see many former characters return to help send Rick off. Actor Jon Bernthal, who played Rick’s one-time best friend, Shane, has been seen on set. As many viewers will remember, Rick was forced to kill Shane in an early season of the show after he fell hard for Rick’s wife, Lori, and had planned to kill him in order to have Lori, and her unborn child, to himself. Sadly, it was kill or be killed for Rick Grimes in that moment.

Since that time, Rick has lost so many people close to him. Shane, Lori, their son, Carl, and many friends such as Glenn, Abraham, Hershel, and more. Any number of the former characters could be spotted in Rick’s final moments on screen.

The Walking Dead Season 9 returns to AMC this fall.