The Walking Dead co-creator Robert Kirkman has teased the possibility of Carl Grimes surviving the walker bite that he sustained prior to the winter break.
RELATED: Walking Dead Midseason Premiere Trailer Promises to Finish the Fight
“He’s not dead yet,” Kirkman said on a Walker Stalker Cruise Q&A panel. “He might not die. You never know. But I think if, were that to happen, I think that it would have some interesting ramifications on Rick, that I think would energize and really kind of set things in motion in a really interesting way leading to the resolution of All Out War in a way that will make for a very exciting back half to Season 8, so I think it’s going to be really cool.”
Kirkman also addressed whether Carl’s death on the show would affect the comic. “As far as whether or not I think it’s going to change things for the comic in a way that is detrimental to the show, I definitely don’t,” Kirkman said. “I think that there’s a lot of great stuff from the comic that will be adapted into the show in Season 9 or beyond. Comic book fans might be excited about the possibility of the Whisperers showing up in the show. I’m not confirming that, but I definitely would not rule it out.”
The fall finale brought with it the revelation that Carl had been bitten by a walker. The decision to kill Carl hasn’t been without its controversy. Carl actor Chandler Riggs was initially promised that the show would work around his dreams to go to college, but his father was very vocal about how showrunner Scott Gimple reneged on that. However, both Riggs and Gimple have seemingly confirmed that Carl will die, so it may be that Kirkman is simply trying to give viewers hope. Even Norman Reedus, who plays Daryl Dixon, wasn’t happy about Carl’s impending death. With the show’s declining ratings, it remains to be seen how the The Walking Dead’s future will play out.
RELATED: The Walking Dead: Season 8 Return Synopsis and Promo Image Revealed
It’s unclear at this time how Carl might survive his seemingly fatal wound.
Returning on Sunday, Feb. 25, AMC’s The Walking Dead stars Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon, Lauren Cohan as Maggie Rhee, Chandler Riggs as Carl Grimes, Danai Gurira as Michonne, Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier, Lennie James as Morgan Jones, Alanna Masterson as Tara Chambler, Josh McDermitt as Eugene Porter, Christian Serratos as Rosita Espinosa and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan.
via ComicBook