Could Walking Dead fans see a return of Rick Grimes?

7^th October 2025

The editorial unit

The editorial unit

7 October 2025

Rick Grimes is one of the most iconic characters in television history, and Andrew Lincoln made a name for himself as one of the best small-screen actors in the world during his tenure as the Walking Dead protagonist.

After wrapping up the character’s storyline in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, it seemed that Lincoln’s time with the zombie franchise was finally over. However, a recent report suggests that the English actor may be keen to return to the post-apocalyptic universe.

Lincoln Hints at a Future Return

Grimes exited the flagship series midway through Season 9 and didn’t reappear until the final episode. Initially, the plan was to make a trio of films wrapping up Lincoln’s character’s arc, but this turned into the spinoff, The Ones Who Live. That series was met with positive critical acclaim, but it was also self-contained and ended with all narrative threads tied up neatly.

In a recent interview, Lincoln said that he was in talks with Walking Dead creator Scott Gimple about a potential return to the franchise. Gimple clearly wants to keep things going as long as possible, and is open to a wide variety of potential spinoffs. That could potentially mean a second season of The Ones Who Live, or a completely new spinoff.

Various Walking Dead spinoffs could converge

The Walking Dead is one of the biggest television franchises of all time, spanning way beyond the original series that began in 2010. That offering garnered a loyal following through solid writing and acting in the early years, along with positive reviews.

However, it became more of a blockbuster when it expanded into other media to reach a wider fanbase. Various games were released alongside the main series to help market it, many of which are still well loved today. For example, The Walking Dead Cash Collect is one of the most popular slots online UK, and it continues to keep the main series alive in mainstream culture.

There have also been countless spinoffs to the original, beginning with Fear The Walking Dead in 2015. After the flagship show finished airing, there were two other related offerings alongside The Ones Who Live, exploring other well-loved characters from the main series. The Walking Dead: Dead City follows the fates of Maggie and Negan, while The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon centres on Daryl and Carol in Europe. There’s a chance that these titles could converge, with all the beloved characters meeting up again for some sort of final reunion.

There’s also a chance that Lincoln opts not to return to his iconic Walking Dead character at all. Although he has expressed an interest in picking up his sheriff hat again, he will also be aware that he needs to explore other roles to show his versatility as an actor. In 2025, he took on his first major part since The Walking Dead in ITV’s Coldwater.

Even though Grimes’ story has well and truly wrapped up in The Walking Dead franchise, there’s still a glimmer of hope that he will return in the future. Lincoln’s interest in taking up the role again is promising.

The editorial unit