'The Walking Dead' cast tease the smarter zombies you'll see on the show's final episodes: 'You got walkers that are running and doing backflips'

Ross Marquand and other "TWD" cast told Insider that they've been ready for some faster zombies to give them more of a challenge.Josh Stringer/AMC

• Smarter zombies will be shown on the final episodes of "The Walking Dead."
• Showrunner Angela Kang said it's meant to be a throwback to walkers seen on season one.

The final eight episodes of "The Walking Dead" will introduce a smarter breed of zombie that's been hinted at in the larger "TWD" universe, one which can "climb walls and open doors."

In July, at San Diego Comic-Con, showrunner Angela Kang teased that these variant walkers are a nod to zombies that were previously seen on the show's first season, ones who picked up rocks and tried to open doors.

What will these smarter zombies look like and how will they come into play?

Since these walkers don't appear, at least obviously, on the next two episodes that we previewed ahead of the show's return to AMC and AMC+ on October 2, Insider asked some of the "TWD" cast recently over Zoom interviews if they could tease what we can expect from these smarter, possibly faster members of the undead.

No one wanted to say too much, but here's what everyone told us of their reaction to the addition of these newer walkers.