Andrew Lincoln confirms his farewell to "The Walking Dead"

The British actor Andrew Lincoln, the great protagonist of "The Walking Dead", confirmed today at Comic-Con that he will leave the popular zombie series for his ninth season: " I only have gratitude and love for the whole team ".

Lincoln, 44, commented at a press conference held at the Hotel Andaz that he preferred to keep the details of the decision for his meeting with the fans in Hall H of San Diego Convention Center (California). "I do not want it to be an obituary, this series has changed my life in many ways, but being able to address Comic-Con fans, that's a lot because you get a Fans are the reason we do the series, I want to look them in the eye and address them with respect, "said the performer.

Lincoln, who played Rick Grimes for more than one hundred chapters, was featured in the series, based on Robert Kirkman's comics, of the first episode

. actor would only participate in six of the twelve episodes of the ninth season, whose release date is still unconfirmed but all indicates this year

Norman Reedus, the performer who gives Daryl Dixon's life, will lead the series after Lincoln's departure, for which he negotiated a deal worth more than $ 20 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"Andrew is my best friend – it's the only thing I can say about it," said the actor, referring to Lincoln's farewell.

"The Walking Dead" is one of the most successful series of recent years in the United States, despite the fact Over time, its audience data has declined.

According to the specialized media Variety, the last episode of the eighth part of the show, aired on April 15, was the final episode of the series with less audience since its first series of episodes in 2010. [19659002] The ninth season will feature Angela Kang as "showrunner" (the head of a series) to replace Scott Gimple and the plot will include a leap forward. 19659002] "The scenario of this season is awesome and it has some of my favorite moments in the series," said Lincoln, and Reedus said the number of hours that actors spend together in Georgia's forests the makes relationships transcend the screen

"I think it gives an extra layer of realism, we fight as a family and we talk to each other, we are alone in the middle of nowhere and everything feels very real. "

Kang advanced some details of the argument and acknowledged that after the war unleashed in the eighth season, the viewer will see how the group and the rest of the survivors they are trying to build a civilization.

Regarding Lincoln's farewells, he said, "Andrew is doing a fantastic job this season, let's see what the effects of his son's death and his decision to save Negan (the current big villain of the series) are. "

What Kang did not corroborate is recent news reports about the return of Jon Bernthal (whose character, Shane, died) for the ninth season

Finally, Gale Anne Hurd, producer of the series, said that "The Walking Dead" continues to attract viewers around the world because she engages in "universal experiences" through their characters .

"Love, loss, desire to live … The key to everything is to find common ground.In dark times like those we live, we can find hope and struggle for to go forward, I think this message sounds now more than ever. "