AMC
Tonight is the premiere of Season 9 of The Walking Dead. AMC has fans on edge, with trailer after trailer promoting “Rick’s last episodes.” But just what is going to happen and when? Is the show going to jump ahead in time? Will Negan still be around? Fans want to know what’s going to happen next. And here’s what we know so far about the cast for Season 9. THIS IS YOUR SPOILER WARNING. Do NOT continue reading if you don’t want to know any information about the new season. This post will include spoilers about the cast all the way through Season 8.
Many new characters are joining the cast for Season 9. Here’s who is rumored to be returning and who is known to be coming back. The season will begin with the show jumping ahead in time 18 months. But a second time jump is rumored to happen again around Episode 6, and this one will likely involve a greater period of time.
The opening credits tell us some of the main characters we’ll be seeing, including Andrew Lincoln (Rick), Norman Reedus (Daryl), Lauren Cohan (Maggie), Danai Gurira (Michonne), Melissa McBride (Carol), Alanna Masterson (Tara), Josh McDermitt (Eugene), Christian Serratos (Rosita), Seth Gilliam (Gabriel), Ross Marquand (Aaron), Katelyn Nacon (Enid), Tom Payne (Jesus), and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Negan). And of course, Khary Payton returns as Ezekiel.
These next actors and characters are rumored or confirmed to be new to the cast:
Hershel Rhee (portrayed by Peyton Lockridge) — Hershel is Maggie’s baby boy, appearing for the first time in Season 9 Episode 1.
‘THE WALKING DEAD’ Star LAUREN COHAN on How BABY HERSHEL Changes MAGGIE
Magna (played by Nadia Hilker) — She is rumored to be appearing in Episode 6 this season, after a second time jump. She’s liksted on IMDB for at least nine episodes. You may remember her from her role as Luna on The 100, most recently.
‘THE WALKING DEAD’ Season 9 Casts NADIA HILKER as MAGNA
Yumiko (played by Eleanor Matsura) — She is rumored to be appearing in Episode 6, after a second time jump, and is listed for at least 9 episodes on IMDB. She has numerous credits, including the post-apocalyptic show Into the Badlands (Baron Chau), Shetland, Wonder Woman, Sherlock, Cuffs (PC Donna Prager), Da Vinci’s Demons (Madame Singh), Residue, and more.
👻 #CastingNews 👻 ‘The Walking Dead’ Adds Eleanor Matsuura to Season 9 Cast #TVInColour #EleanorMatsuura #TheWalkingDead 👻
Luke (played by Dan Fogler) — He is rumored to be appearing in Episode 6, after the second time jump. IMDB has him listed for numerous episodes this season. The actor has a lot of credits in the past, including The Goldbergs, Sharknado 5, Fantastic Beasts, Secrets and Lies, Hannibal, and more.
The Walking Dead season 9 adds Fantastic Beasts star Dan Fogler t.co/pyZtHDQoDq
Connie (played by Lauren Ridloff) — Rumored to appear in Episode 6 after the second time jump. She’s not listed on IMDB but she’s been reported in news coverage.
Marco (played by Gustavo Gomez) – The long-haired guy who is Ken’s friend and one of the younger members of the DC supply run. He was recently on Chicago PD, La Quinceanera, Day 5, American Crime, and more.
Ken — A guy in a blue shirt who is part of a premiere DC supply run and plays a pivotal role in the episode.
Earl (played by John Finn) — He is the Hilltop blacksmith who is seen with his hands tied up in the trailer. Spoilers indicate that he tried to attack Maggie, and Ken is his son. He’s married to Tammy. The actor is very well known, with his credits including Glory, Blown Away, Catch Me If You Can, NCIS (Charles T. Ellison), The Blacklist, Madame Secretary, Believe, Homeland, Suits, Cold Case (John Stillman), Dawson’s Creek (John Witter), and more.
TV News: Brett Butler and John Finn join THE WALKING DEAD.
Tammy Rose (played by Brett Butler) — Earl’s wife and Ken’s mom. There are rumors that she might die, based on what happened in the comics. But it’s unclear what will actually happen to this character on the show.
Tammy Rose was first introduced in the comics in Issue 135. She lives on Hilltop with her husband and son (named Morton and Brandon in the comics.) In the comics, Carl played a big role and nearly beat her son and friend to death while protecting Sophia, so it’s unclear how her character will play out in the show.
Brett Butler is well known for roles including Grace Under Fire, The Comedian, How to Get Away with Murder, Anger Management, The Young and the Restless (Beth), and more.
Justin (played by Zach McGowan) — A hostile Savior. In the trailer, he’s seen arguing with Daryl and being knocked over a bridge by Henry. There is speculation that he may be a major antagonist, at least for part of the season. I have to believe this speculation is true. We see him at the very beginning of Episode 1 of Season 9 in a seemingly innocuous role. But considering the actor’s past on shows like The 100, Black Sails, and Agents of Shield, he will likely have a really big role on The Walking Dead in the future.
Don’t miss @Zach_McGowan on The Walking Dead premiere this Sunday night as Justin! Would love to see him kick some a##! 😍😍😍 #zachmcgowan #TheWalkingDead #twd #whisperer #justin
Jed (played by Rhys Coiro) — Another rebellious Savior who is seen in the trailer being menacing toward Carol and fighting with Aaron on a bridge. He may be a main antagonist for the first part of the season. Coiro’s many credits include Entourage, Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G., Ray Donovan, Graceland, and more.
Alpha (played by Samantha Morton) — She is going to be the next major antagonist and is speculated to be appearing in Season 9 Episode 8. But The Whisperers themselves are supposed to be appearing for the first time in Episode 6 after the second time jump. So she’ll be the major antagonist of the second half of the season, most likely. Morton’s past credits include Harlots (Margaret Wells), Rillington Place, Fantastic Beasts, The Last Panthers, Max & Ruby, and much more.
‘The Walking Dead’ Casts Samantha Morton For Iconic Villain Role t.co/izHDI9IXWz
Lydia (played by Cassady McClincy) — Alpha’s daughter, who is rumored to be having a tryst of sorts with Henry. McClincy’s credits include Castle Rock (young Molly Strand), The Visitor, Daytime Divas, Ozark, and more.
Cassady McClincy deve interpretar Lydia em The Walking Dead t.co/vBv4Fghrml
Beta (played by Ryan Hurst) — He is the second in command of the Whisperers and is confirmed to be part of the new season, appearing in 16 episodes. Hurst’s previous credits include Outsiders, Bates Motel, Axe Cop, Sons of Anarchy (Harry “Opie” Winston), Wanted, and much more.
Sons of Anarchy favorite Ryan Hurst joins The Walking Dead t.co/jPry4DMKL5
A Dog! Yes, Season 9 is adding a dog to the cast. He’s seen in some leaked set photos and is going to be Daryl’s companion. This is great news, and we hope he survives for a long time.
The Spoiling Dead Fans (TSDF) and Angel Theory (Kelly), who are known for releasing reliable spoilers about The Walking Dead, have also indicated the following rumors.
Older Judith or Gracie (Cailey Fleming) — She’s rumored to be portraying one of these two characters. TSDF noted that Angel had asked Cailey if she was practicing her sign language when they were talking in a live chat about The Walking Dead filming.
Older Judith or Gracie (Raegan Millican) — This is another rumor, based on Millican following cast and crew who are following her back.
Of course, all the fan favorites and characters from last season who didn’t die will be back, with a few changes. Daryl, Maggie, Carol, Ezekiel, Rick, Michonne — everyone’s returning. But here are some changes you’ll notice.
Henry (now played by Matt Lintz) — Yes, Henry is being recast. He’s not listed on IMDB, but he is on the Walking Dead Wikia. He’s actually taking over the role from his younger brother, Macsen Lintz. (And his older sister, Madison Lintz, portrayed Sophia, Carol’s daughter.) Lintz was born in 2001 and he’s currently 17, so that’s a pretty big age jump for Henry.
Jadis and Alden are both rumored to have bigger roles this season, Fansided reported. Jadis, the former leader of the scavengers, and Alden, a former Savior who became loyal to Maggie on the Hilltop, will be among the more prominent characters in the new season.
If you recall, Jadis (played by Pollyana McIntosh) accepted Morgan’s invitation to join up with Rick and company when Season 8 ended, just before Morgan left for Fear the Walking Dead. She has even returned to using the name “Anne” rather than Jadis. But there’s still a lot to learn about her. For example, who is behind the helicopter group that she was connected to? Is it the Commonwealth? You’ll notice right away that she’s very different. She has a new haircut and has dropped that strange accent that she used to use, now seemingly completely normal and talking about her life before the apocalypse.
Callan McAuliffe e Avi Nash, Alden e Siddiq respectivamente, são promovidos ao elenco regular da 9ª temporada de The Walking Dead t.co/8RPdFIEAIO
And Alden, played by Callan McAuliffe, has been promoted to a series regular for Season 9. He has gone from the outsider Savior to a trusted member of The Hilltop who is loyal to Maggie.
Avi Nash, who plays Siddiq, has also been promoted to a series regular. He was the man that Carl gave his life to help.