What is The Walking Dead without Rick Grimes?
It looks like the zombie drama series may be exploring that sooner than you think, as creator Robert Kirkman has confirmed that the leading hero will bite it at some point in the foreseeable future.
Speaking at a New York Comic-Con panel (via ComicBook.com), Kirkman said that Rick won't survive until the end.
"No-one is safe," he said. "Hopefully there have been points where you go, 'Is this it? Is this where Rick dies?' And he doesn't.
"One day, the moment will come where you go, 'Oh my god, it is!'
"It could happen any time between now and 50 years from now."
As far as the TV show is concerned, it's safe to say that it feels like Rick has plot armour.
Often, we've seen Rick surrounded by walkers but there's always the feeling that he will definitely survive.
Hardly anyone seriously thought Negan would kill Rick in the line-up which claimed Abraham and Glenn's lives. And the infamous deer episode in season seven ('Say Yes') featured an awkward moment when Michonne broke down after believing Rick had died – awkward because nobody was really fooled that Rick had become zombie chow.
However, in the comics, it's a slightly different situation. There's a palpable sense that Rick could be written out, especially since his son Carl is a bigger presence and could take over as the lead.
That said, star Andrew Lincoln thinks the TV show could definitely survive without Rick.
"I certainly think that there's an opportunity for the show to change at some point, and I think it should," he recently said.
The Walking Dead launches its eighth season on October 22 on AMC in the US and October 23 on FOX in the UK.
