For longtime fans of The Walking Dead, the upcoming ninth season may be the most highly anticipated in the show’s history. Not only did we lose at least one pivotal character in season eight, but rumor has it we’ll be losing at least two more core survivors in the season to come. Rick Grimes and the gang will be moving on from the war-driven years of Negan’s reign into… well, that remains to be seen. Basically, we’re entering a new era of TWD.
Of course, we now have to wait until season nine premieres to find out just what fate has in store for our zombpocalyptic heroes — and that means impatiently counting down the days to October (boooooooo, too long!). To keep you occupied in the meantime, we did a deep dive to discover all of the intel currently floating around about the upcoming season. Suffice it to say, there are spoilers ahead.
There’s a New Boss Lady
Coming into season nine, former series showrunner Scott M. Gimple will be handing over the reins to writer and co-executive producer Angela Kang (who's also been promoted to executive producer). Gimple will be moving into a new role as Chief Content Officer of the entire Walking Dead franchise.
Suffice it to say that Gimple trusts Kang implicitly. She's a longtime team member who has been writing for the show since season two and has been responsible for some of the series' most poignant episodes.
Modern Amenities Are Dwindling
Because even more time has passed since we last saw the survivors at the end of season eight, Kang explained to Entertainment Weekly that there will be new challenges. "We'll explore what happened as man-made objects and structures break down," she said. "Infrastructure like roads and bridges are changing and crumbling. And we’ll also explore what happens as resources are getting low."
Modern amenities have been largely depleted by this point, so we'll see a return to more primitive times — think traveling by horseback, relying on oil lamps for light, fighting with more rudimentary weapons.
Season 9 Will Have an Old-School Vibe
If you're among the contingency of fans who feel like TWD has gotten away from its original glory, take heart. Per Gimple, Kang will be taking the show back to the pinnacle of its popularity.
"Especially looking back at where our show succeeds most — in terms of the characters that have the best chemistry together and the locations that [worked well]," Gimple told Fandom of how Kang would be drawing on the show's history, adding, "I feel like the show is kind of morphing back into a season four, season five kind of vibe.”
Two Actors Got Promotions
While it seems like a foregone conclusion that many people will die in season nine, we know that two characters will be sticking around a little longer. Callan McAuliffe, who plays Al, a Savior defector, and Avi Nash, who plays Siddiq, a Hilltop doctor, have been promoted from recurring to series regulars ahead of season nine. Clearly, this means we'll be seeing much more of these two in the near future.
Our Nation’s Capital Will (Probably) Make a Cameo
According to Forbes writer Paul Tassi, The Walking Dead gang is headed to our nation's capital in season nine. Tassi came to this conclusion after comparing images of state capitol buildings to the hollowed-out, partially destroyed building on the season nine promo poster — and voila! Of course, the fact that the Capitol is in such bad shape suggests the survivors will not find hope there.
Maggie Will Be Moving On
There's good news and there's bad news where Maggie is concerned. The good news? She will be returning for season nine. "I'm going back," actor Lauren Cohan told Entertainment Weekly. "There's a lot more Maggie story to tell." When asked what her arc might entail, she coyly responded, "You know we're not allowed to tell you anything, but it's good."
Now for the bad news: It looks like Cohan will only be around for part of the season (six episodes, to be precise), which means Maggie will probably be moving on. Cohan is staying busy with a starring role in the movie Mile 22 as well as the new ABC pilot Whiskey Cavalier.
And Rick Might Be Leaving as Well
Say it ain't so! Per Collider's intel, our beloved leader Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) will be leaving us before season nine is over. While little else is known at this point about Rick's exit, he will reportedly be in at least six episodes this season.
But, Hey, Shane Is Coming Back!
With all of the sad casting news going around, it's kinda nice to hear some good news for a change. And even though Shane can't actually return as a character (he got killed alive and dead!), we'll take whatever we can get.
Since TVLine reports that actor Jon Bernthal will be back for one episode in season nine, we imagine Rick will have some sort of flashback with Shane in it — which, let's be honest, sounds like the kind of flashback Rick would have on his way out.
We’re Back to Being Afraid of Walkers
For the last few seasons, TWD has been much more about people fighting people. Like, the ones that still have a pulse. In the earlier seasons, the drama and fear of the show centered much more on the survivors learning how to evade "walkers." Now, it appears we're moving back toward those times.
In the season eight finale, a gigantic herd of walkers can be seen walking in the direction of the survivors. Rick gave one of his motivational speeches about working together to fight the real enemy: in this case, the walkers. Since Negan is neutralized, season nine will likely refocus on the walkers for the first time in, well, years.
The Whisperers Could Be Coming
The season eight finale sent fans into a frenzy for many reasons, but one of them was definitely perceived hints about the Whisperers. In the comics, these villains wear walker-skin suits and live in the midst of the undead.
In the finale, fans noticed a few things that could herald the coming of this motley crew — like posts similar to the ones the Whisperers use in the comics. Fans also speculate that Dwight's wife, Sherry, could be the Whisperers' evil leader, Alpha.
Negan Might Change Our Minds
Negan has never made apologies about being the big bad in TWD's apocalypse — at least, he hasn't until now. But is a softer Negan on the horizon? Although everyone thinks of the recently imprisoned villain as the "monster in the basement," Kang teased during an interview with TVLine that Negan will "surprise" fans. Hmm, intriguing.
The Helicopter Will Be Revealed
What is up with that damn helicopter? It kept popping up in season eight, but we still have no idea who it belongs to or why it's there. All we know is that it appears to be linked to Jadis/Anne somehow. However, all may be revealed sooner rather than later.
During season eight, comics publisher Skybound's social media manager Johnny O'Dell told fans the mystery over the helicopter would be resolved in a "later season." And thanks to the giant promotional poster for season nine — which includes the helicopter in the background — we can assume that season is upon us.
Move Over, Walkers! Alexandria Also Being Resurrected
When Father Gabriel made his way to the burned-out shell of a church in Alexandria during season eight, it felt like a bit of foreshadowing. That guess is probably right. In March, a fan drove to Georgia to check out the filming locations for the show and stumbled across the Alexandria Safe-Zone being rebuilt in preparation for season nine. This certainly falls in line with Rick's renewed vision of a community Carl would be proud of.
It Will Be a Different Time — Literally & Figuratively
Everything else in TWD has been leading to this moment in the show's history — "a new chapter," Kang told TheWrap. To kick off this new chapter, she also confirmed that they will be "jumping ahead with time and playing with time" in season nine.
Gimple reiterated this new phase of TWD's life to Deadline, saying, "This is sort of the end of a very long chapter of The Walking Dead. And I don’t mean the past couple years, I mean the first eight years of the show, and that this ends a period of the story that will not be replicated. It is going to turn into, in some ways, a very different show. The conclusions for pretty much all the characters have played out and the weight of really eight seasons was on it, but I think it’s a really… it is big, but it’s very different in the rhythm of the storytelling and I guess shifting point of views as well."
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