This reprioritization of Rick Grimes within universe is apparent in several of its upcoming shows, especially in . The last few episodes of the show's eighth season have been particularly angled toward the apocalyptic sheriff, not only by making Morgan the new lead of but in setting up a potential connection between PADRE and the Civic Republic Military. This connection between Morgan and Rick is even more explicit in the midseason finale, where Morgan quotes Rick Grimes when he says, "" and then sets out to search for him.
However, there is a reason for ‘s emphasis on Rick Grimes beyond returning him to the screen. Ultimately, one of the largest overarching yet unresolved storylines from the original series is the Civic Republic Military (CRM), its influence, and its ultimate goal. franchise has continued to build this storyline up by leaving several mysteries from the main series unresolved, such as Lance’s (Josh Hamilton) mysterious allies and what happened to Rick after the end of .
Pieces of several spinoffs have been building toward this as well, including in .With the CRM looming as an important player in the franchise, it only makes sense for to bring Rick Grimes back to the screen. By also including several spinoff-series characters who could discover Rick’s whereabouts, this shows how is slowly reuniting many of its main original cast members, as well as some original spinoff characters, for what could be a critical showdown.
With continuing to build up the CRM and pull its scattered characters back together, one of the easiest ways for them to unite these disparate elements is to have several main characters search for Rick. Some characters are already doing so and have explicitly set out for this goal on-screen, including Michonne, which could be critical in her upcoming miniseries. Additionally, Daryl has also set out into the world and, considering his promise to Judith (Cailey Fleming), could be searching for both Rick and Michonne.
Among the other original cast members of currently searching for Rick and thus helping to direct the franchise's future are Morgan and Mo (Zoey Merchant).
With their recent misadventures with PADRE, their knowledge could be even more critical to the climax is building towards and how the in-show universe changes in the future. With Daryl also on his way into the world, Judith might be close behind in future episodes, joining the search for both of her missing parents.
Though much of has yet to be revealed, key details have been announced. Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira are reprising their roles as Rick Grimes and Michonne respectively, and that has remained consistent even when the project was switched from a feature film to a TV series. franchise will remain on TV as the series follows the epic love story of Rick Grimes and Michonne as they are reunited in the face of a new enemy. More details about the story will likely be revealed as the planned 2024 release date nears.
