This is very unexpected news and fans of The Walking Dead ain't gonna be best pleased because Andrew Lincoln is set to exit the series in the upcoming ninth season, according to Entertainment Weekly.
And to make matters worse, it's been suggested that Rick Grimes himself will have a final run lasting only six episodes.
After the season 8 finale, Lincoln said: "I can't wait to see this next episode. It's really interesting. It's very different in a good way. In an exciting way.
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"It's more reminiscent of the pilot than any other season that we've embarked on, which makes me very happy. It's a good time for it. It's a really exciting time for it. I feel like season 1. It's a big year, and I'm excited for it."
He's really built us up, hasn't he? He really is a 'stupid little prick named Rick'.
In a show like The Walking Dead, as the title suggests, death lurks around every corner - literally. And it seems that over the course of eight seasons of the AMC series, we've seen plenty of characters meet their end, but Rick Grimes has managed to survive relatively unharmed.
Collider announced the news last night, they couldn't spoil how the series' founding character makes his exit (thank heavens) but they did give away info about his half-a-dozen episode appearance.
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And it seems off-screen has been rather dramatic for The Walking Dead as star Lauren Cohan (or Maggie Greene) has been making waves across social media by holding out for a better contract.
In the Season 8 finale, her character was in a position of power that ironically mirrored Cohan's own bargaining position at the negotiating table.
And she is confirmed to be back for Season 9, though it'll only be for six episodes as well. We're not sure where this is all going.
Not to worry too much though guys because Daryl Dixon is here to stay for the foreseeable.
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For those living under a rock, The Walking Dead portrays life in the months and years that follow a zombie apocalypse.
Led by former police officer Rick Grimes (until Episode 6 of Season 9 that is), his family and a group of other survivors find themselves constantly on the move in search of a safe and secure home.
But the pressure each day to stay alive sends many in the group to the deepest depths of human cruelty, and Rick discovers that the overwhelming fear of the survivors can be more deadly than the zombies walking among them.
We can't wait to see how this pans out.
Featured Image Credit: AMC/The Walking DeadTopics: Entertainment, TV and Film, AMC, The Walking Dead