The Walking Dead faces a major cast shakeup in its ninth season, as longtime star Andrew Lincoln will play a reduced role in the series before his eventual departure. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Lincoln’s decision to move on accompanies reports of a new contract for Norman Reedus, which is said to be worth more than $20 million.
The end of Lincoln’s Rick Grimes character was telegraphed throughout the series’ eight season, and the actor himself had previously spoken in uncertain terms about his future with the show.
Although Grimes remains the star of the ongoing comic series upon which the series is based, both Grimes and Lauren Cohan’s Maggie will bow out of the show by the end of season nine. The soon-to-be-paid Reedus will see his character Daryl become the show’s protagonist.
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