The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus has rejected the notion that his character Daryl will become the new Rick once that character has departed.
With Rick Grimes’ pending departure from The Walking Dead, there has been much discussion about who will step up to take this character’s leading role, not just in the group but as the show’s central character.
Daryl is an obvious choice for many but Norman Reedus, the actor behind the character, isn’t interested in replacing Andrew Lincoln’s Rick. The actor responded, “No,” on set when asked about the idea (via ComicBook.com):
“I don’t think anyone’s gonna step up and be Rick. Everybody on the show is gonna step up and elevate their game and fill that hole. I don’t think there could be a new Rick. I know the internet’s like, ‘Screw, Norman! Who does he think he is?’ I’ve just got to sit there go, ‘Oh, whatever.’ Everybody sort of steps up to the plate.”
We will have to wait and see just what the future holds in this new chapter for the show but are you looking forward to TWD potentially embracing its ensemble nature to an even further extent in Rick’s absence?
SEE ALSO: The Walking Dead season 9 trailer teases Rick Grimes’ final episodes
“Last season brought the culmination of “All Out War,” which pitted Rick Grimes and his group of survivors against the Saviors and their cunning leader, Negan. With Negan’s life in his hands, Rick had a character-defining choice in front of him. By making the unilateral decision to spare Negan, Rick upheld the values his late son, Carl, championed in order to build for the future, but created conflict within his group. Now, we see our survivors a year and a half after the end of the war, rebuilding civilization under Rick’s steadfast leadership. It is a time of relative peace among the communities as they work together, looking to the past to forge the future, but the world they knew is rapidly changing as man-made structures continue to degrade, and nature takes over, changing the landscape and creating new challenges for our survivors. As time passes, the communities confront unexpected obstacles, danger, and of course, walkers, but nothing quite prepares them for the formidable force they are about to encounter, which threatens the very idea of civilization that our survivors have worked so hard to build.”
The Walking Dead season 9 premieres on October 7th on AMC.