One of the best things about "The Walking Dead" is the unpredictability of its characters. The show has established that no character — whether zombie or human — is safe. With the eighth season involving flash-forwards where Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) is shown to be an old man, fans are wondering whether the leader might die in the future.
While Lincoln has stated that "The Walking Dead" can go on without Rick, here are five likely candidates that can replace him.
Ever since Michonne's (Danai Gurira) introduction to "The Walking Dead," she has projected an aura of a leader. Though not as vocal as Rick, Michonne's actions always spoke for themselves. Her commitment to the group remains strong more so when they got to Alexandria.
If Rick gets killed in the upcoming war against Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), Michonne can take over and lead the group in his stead.
On the other hand, Carol (Melissa McBride) may seem like an unlikely choice. But during some of the group's most terrifying moments in the Terminus arc and the attack of the Wolves, Carol stepped up big time and became a one-woman killing machine. Her more aggressive choice in survival has shaken her moral compass and as the guilt crept into her psyche, she began to withdraw from her group in fear of harming them.
With the war against Negan looming and after learning what had happened to her other friends, Carol is now back in the fight ready as ever.
King Ezekiel (Khary Payton) would probably be one of the more qualified options to lead if something happened to Rick. He's already a leader in his own thriving community which has managed to survive and sustain itself. Plus, he's got a Tiger. Who wouldn't want that?
Another unlikely choice is Carl Grimes (Chandler Riggs), mostly because of his youth. But his character has gotten some better storylines over the last couple of seasons especially when he had a face-to-face with Negan. With theories of flying around that the series is told from Carl's perspective, it would be a logical choice for him to lead the group as it may move the narrative of the show forward.
Lastly, Maggie (Lauren Cohan) has come to her own in the previous two seasons of "The Walking Dead." Her journey from farm girl to the eventual leader of the Hilltop community has showcased her smartness and grit to survive in the zombie-infested world. If something would happen to Rick, their original group would probably look to Maggie to lead them into the future.
"The Walking Dead" season 8 airs every Sunday at 9 p.m. EDT on AMC.
