'The Walking Dead' fans are convinced Rick may appear on 'TWDWB' finale. Sorry, he won't.
- Some "The Walking Dead" fans thought Andrew Lincoln may appear on the "TWD: World Beyond" season one finale.
- Lincoln's name appeared in a now deleted casting list on IMDB for the season one finale.
- The name was removed after Insider reached out to AMC, which airs "TWD" series.
- An AMC representative confirmed to Insider the listing was removed as it was "not accurate."
Some "The Walking Dead" fans are wondering if Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) is making a special appearance on spinoff series "TWD: World Beyond" after the actor's name appeared in the credits for an upcoming episode on IMDB.
That isn't the case.
Friday, an AMC representative confirmed to Insider the listing was inaccurate and that Lincoln will not appear on "TWDWB" finale.
Lincoln left the "The Walking Dead" flagship show in 2018. His character, Rick, was hauled off in one of the Civic Republic Military's helicopters to an unknown location. He hasn't been seen since, but is expected to appear in some upcoming "TWD" movies.
"TWDWB," which takes place roughly around a similar timeline to "TWD," follows a group of teens as they travel from Nebraska to New York in search of the Civic Republic headquarters.
If you missed this fleeting moment of excitement in "TWD" universe this week, we'll break it down for you.
Fans noticed Andrew Lincoln's name listed in the credits for "TWDWB" season one finale earlier this week.
Fans started noticing the IMDB listing on Wednesday and began speculating about Lincoln's potential "TWD" universe return on social media.
Even if it wasn't a new appearance, some considered we may get a flashback sequence with Rick.
Some fans believed there was credence to the theory because of a social media comment from a "TWDWB" star.
Adding fuel to the fire, was a previous social media comment from "TWDWB" star Nico Tortorella.
While responding to fans on Instagram during the show's premiere on October 4, Tortorella teased they shared a scene with Lincoln.
When asked, "Who is your favorite person to have scenes with?" the actor said "Andrew Lincoln " with a wink emoji. Fans pointed to that moment as potential proof the listing could be true.
When Tortorella was asked by another fan if there was a character they hoped for a crossover with, the actor responded, "I'm waiting for the Rick/Felix superhero duo."
Tortorella previously told Insider from the set of "TWDWB" in Virginia that they know exactly where Grimes was in the zombie apocalypse. When we believed they were joking around, Tortorella pushed back saying they were serious.
Insider learned Thursday Lincoln would not appear on "TWDWB" finale.
An individual with knowledge of the situation confirmed to Insider Lincoln does not appear on "TWDWB" finale on Thursday. The individual expressed concern fans would be disappointed if they expected to see Rick in the episode only for him to not appear.
At the time Insider reached out to AMC for comment Thursday, Lincoln's name was still visibly credited on IMDB. By late Thursday, the false credit was starting to spread around #TWDFamily community a little more.
By Friday, Lincoln's name was removed from the listing.
An AMC representative reached out to Insider on Friday morning with a brief note that the IMDB listing was updated as it was "not accurate."
How did the inaccurate listing get there?
It's actually quite simple for anyone with an IMDB account and or IMDBpro account to edit a listing on the site. There's a lengthy page of instructions on how anyone can do it on the site.
It's likely someone was trying to troll "TWD" fans by making them believe Lincoln would appear on the series.
It's a long shot that we'll ever see Lincoln on the spinoff at all.
When speaking with Insider in September about the state of "TWD" universe, "TWD" chief content officer, Scott Gimple, told Insider that while "TWDWB" serves as a bridge to the Rick Grimes' movie(s), he cautioned that fans shouldn't expect to see Rick anytime soon on the show.
"Rick is not going to be walking out from around the corner," Gimple told Insider. "This does start to sort of paint the world that Rick is somehow involved in."
A Rick appearance would probably help viewer perception of the series. Reviews for the show haven't exactly been glowing. It currently sits at 38% on Rotten Tomatoes. Insider's own review referred to "TWDWB" as "a placeholder until the first Rick Grimes movie(s)."
Rick could always make an appearance on the next season of the two-season limited series. After all, it seems likely that the current group of survivors are on their way to wherever Rick is being held.
"The Walking Dead: World Beyond" airs on AMC Sundays at 10 p.m. You can follow along with our "TWD" coverage here.