Andrew Lincoln has reassured fans that his involvement with The Walking Dead is not over despite appearing in his final episode.
The British actor has played the lead role of Rick Grimes in AMC’s post-apocalyptic zombie series since it began in 2010.
His final episode aired in the US on Sunday but Lincoln was quick to assure fans it did not mark the end of his involvement with the franchise.
#TheWalkingDead will officially have three spin-off movies! Details (and spoilers) ahead: https://t.co/V4qbIXYBlN pic.twitter.com/7MpNne2U0o
— The Walking Dead (@TheWalkingDead) November 5, 2018
Lincoln, having shaved off his trademark beard from the series, appeared on after-show Talking Dead to discuss his departure and what comes next.
He will star in a number of original films written by Walking Dead producer Scott M Gimple, which will continue Rick’s story. Production on the first one is expected to begin in 2019.
Lincoln said: “It’s not the beginning of the end, it’s the end of the beginning. And I like the idea that we get to tell a bigger story, maybe with a sort of wider vista.
“I’ve always been interested in what’s going on out there, you know, whether or not there is contact with the wider world. I want to know the meta of it all.
“And I suppose to be able to kind of touch upon that in a contained story for me is a very exciting proposition … Maybe it’s the start of a bigger story.”
The Walking Dead will air in the UK on November 5 at 9pm on Fox.