The Walking Dead season 9 cast members ‘secure future’ following Rick Grimes exit

Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride and Danai Gurira seek pacts to remain on the AMC series

Following the news that Andrew Lincoln will continue to play Rick Grimes in a trilogy of Walking Dead films, other cast members are looking to establish their future with the series now that its expansion plans are in full swing.

Lincoln's highly publicised departure arrived in season nine's fifth episode which saw his character whisked away on a helicopter after seemingly sacrificing himself to save his friends and family. In a twist ending, the show jumped forward six years presenting Grimes's daughter Judith as its new hero.

Former showrunner Scott Gimple revealed plans to create projects that will "introduce new characters and new situations.” But what does this mean for the show's other cast members?

The show's remaining original cast members - Norman Reedus (Daryl Dixon) and Melissa McBride (Carol Peletier) - have reportedly signed a three-year deal that's not exclusive to the series. This means they could jump from The Walking Dead to another project as part of the series' franchise, much like Lincoln has done.

Another cast member looking to sign a similar deal is Danai Gurira who has played the role of Michonne since the season two finale. According to reports, Gurira is in negotiations to continue on despite a surge in demand following her role in Black Panther. Asked by The Hollywood Reporter how long she plans to stay on the show, Gurira said: “I can't share that at this moment.”

AMC programming president David Madden said: “[Danai] has been very vocal about saying that she loves the show. We love Danai; we love that character. Right now, she's got a lot of opportunities and she needs to weigh what she feels is best for her. But we certainly would want her on the show as long as she wants to be on it.

“Obviously, the lesson of Andy is that the show can survive anybody's departure if need be but that's not our goal. The goal is to have Danai continue on whatever basis she can make work, given the other things that she has going on in her life.”

Whatever happens, it seems these actors will be permitted to transition between several Walking Dead projects being steered by Gimple who has promised series, digital offshoots and films based on characters old and new.

Gimple has assured fans that The Walking Dead is still the primary focus, adding: “Seeing other characters from the show in other ways is absolutely a possibility. But The Walking Dead will remain The Walking Dead and telling great stories with Carol, Daryl and Michonne. So that is the priority with those characters.”

Despite all the fanfare surrounding Lincoln, the show's latest episode also said goodbye to both Lauren Cohan and Pollyanna McIntosh whose characters Maggie Rhee and Jadis won't feature in the remainder of the season.

Showrunner Angela Kang is hopeful that Coan will return in the show's tenth season after her work on new ABC comedy Whiskey Cavalier is completed, while McIntosh will appear in the trilogy of Rick Grimes films.