Andrew Lincoln’s ‘The Walking Dead’ Exit Has Left Some Cast Members Shaken

The upcoming exit of Andrew Lincoln has understandably left a lot of the series’ long-time fans concerned over the future of The Walking Dead.

Lincoln, obviously, is the leader of the show and the guy who drove a large number of The Walking Dead plots. His absence will reverberate for the rest of the series, and for some, it may mean the end of the line as a viewer if new showrunner Angela Kang cannot prove that the series can be just as strong without its lead.

Viewers, however, are not the only people who have expressed concern. Lincoln’s fellow cast members on the series were also understandably worried after hearing that one of the series’ biggest draws was leaving. It is an ensemble show, but after the loss of so many familiar faces over the last few seasons — Glenn, Abraham, Sasha, Carl — the composition of the cast has shifted so much that it’s beginning to feel like a different series. The question is: Will it be a better one?

One year after becoming a series regular on The Walking Dead, Enid actress Katelyn Nacon found out lead actor Andrew Lincoln was set to exit the AMC show. It was a scary moment for the young actress.

Speaking to ComicBook.com, Nacon opened up about learning Lincoln would be leaving The Walking Dead in its ninth season. Unlike Carl actor Chandler Riggs, she didn’t find out from reading it online, but that’s because she was still actively involved with the series moving forward — and hoping to continue doing so.

“For me, I was really scared because I was like, ‘Oh, crap. Our show’s going to go into the gutter,’ I think, just the way that Khary [Payton] was,” Nacon said. “But at the same time, Andy has been doing this show for so long and he has a family that he doesn’t really ever get to see because they’re in London. It’s hard, you know? I’m happy for him because I’m happy that he can spend more time with his family and spend more time in other endeavors and everything. But it was also hard, at the same time, to know that we were losing someone that has brought so much to the show and has really set a standard for everyone that works on this show. It was difficult.”

During The Walking Dead Season Nine preview special which previously aired on AMC, King Ezekiel actor Khary Payton opened up about the show’s future, which Nacon referenced. “It’s been tough for everybody and when I found out about it, I stared packing my bags,” Payton said. “Then I started reading the story. There’s a moment that happens in the story we’re telling, and I went over to my suitcase and I started unpacking…How do you go on without Rick Grimes? I read this moment, and I’m pretty sure everyone will know it when the see it, and it’s arresting. I thought, ‘Oh my god, we’ve got so much more to do!’ My drawers are full.”

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Nevertheless, while both shock and concern were a common theme among these The Walking Dead cast members, it sounds like Angela Kang and the new scripts have convinced them that the show will continue to work without Lincoln.

“There’s a moment that happens in the story we’re telling, and I went over to my suitcase and I started unpacking,” Payton added to his earlier statement. “How do you go on without Rick Grimes? I read this moment, and I’m pretty sure everyone will know it when they see it, and it’s arresting. I thought, ‘Oh my god, we’ve got so much more to do!’ My drawers are full.”

Cooper Andrews is likewise excited about the future of the show. “The story, and not to sound like a broken record but the story really is not over. This is the most excited I’ve been for a story in years as a fan. This is going to be a really exciting season and I think it’s going to be placing everyone in a different area to what we’ve seen.”

Fans will certainly grieve the loss of Lincoln, but whether they stick around after his departure may rely on just how “arresting” that moment Payton describes really is. The pressure is certainly on for Angela Kang and the writers for the upcoming season, which kicks off in October.

The Walking Dead Season Eight is available on blu-ray on Aug. 21. Fear the Walking Dead returned for the back half of its fourth season on Aug. 12 at 9 p.m. ET on AMC. The Walking Dead returns for its ninth season on Oct. 7, 2018. For more updates and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter!

(Excerpts) Read More at: UPROXX.com and Comicbook.com