THE WALKING DEAD director Greg Nicotero has hinted that Rick Grimes might not be around for much longer as he explained that the show is "not about him anymore".
Rick (played by Andrew Lincoln) has been the main protagonist of the zombie series since it hit screens in 2010 but season seven has seen a number of new communities introduced and the focus on Alexandria has weakened.
Now, Greg Nicotero has teased that Rick's role on the show is about to change as new characters are introduced and other communities take the lead.
Speaking about episode nine of the current run, which saw the Alexandrians meet King Ezekiel and travel to the Kingdom, he commented: "That episode was a great episode to get us back into season because we checked into the different groups.
"We saw the Hilltop, the Kingdom, Alexandria and the Sanctuary and it's important that the show evolve and evolves into this bigger world like the comic books."
Hinting that the focus of the show would move away from Rick, he continued: "It's not just about Rick anymore. It's about these other groups.
"He's still clearly very involved and he and Daryl, and Carol, and everybody else drive those stories forward."
Greg went on to explain that it was essential to include other groups for fear that the series would become too dull.
"We've been on air for seven years," he noted. "We have an obligation to keep it fresh. If everything took place in Alexandria and if it stayed the same all of the time people would start getting fatigued by it.
"So, we have an obligation to change it up by introducing new worlds, introducing new characters."