The Walking Dead season 8: Could Rick, Daryl, or Carol actually die?

At this point, most The Walking Dead fans are probably acutely aware that we’re losing a major cast member in the midseason premiere. Carl is dying after being bitten, and this leaves a pretty gaping hole when you think about the remainder of the series. There are probably going to be some other characters who die before season 8 wraps up, but the question CarterMatt wants an answer to is this: Could we lose Rick, Daryl, or Carol at some point?

If we were to have a Mount Rushmore of untouchable Walking Dead characters, we would’ve put on it Rick, Daryl, Carol, and Carl. Scott M. Gimple already pulled the rug out from under us in making the decision that he did with Carl. Couldn’t he do that again with some other characters?

While we await the midseason premiere on Sunday, now does seem like the best time to touch more on the odds that Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, or Melissa McBride leaves us before the series finale.

Andrew Lincoln – Could Rick die? There’s at least a chance. While we don’t foresee Lincoln leaving in the near future, it could happen if the series lasts beyond a season 10. The main purpose, though, of killing Rick would have been having Carl inherit much of his work and help be a leader in moving society to one of survival to one that’s functioning and working together. With Carl now dying, what purpose would this serve anymore?

Norman Reedus – Reedus has said already that he has no intention of ever leaving and for now, there’s no reason to think otherwise. He loves the show and its fans; beyond that, Daryl is a survivor. The only reason to kill off Daryl is if you want to see fans rioting in the streets.

Melissa McBride – The future for Carol, meanwhile, is maybe a little bit sketchier just because of the fact that the character is someone we could see sacrificing herself for the sake of someone else — or for a large group of people. We would love to see her make it to the end of the series because like Daryl, she is also a survivor, but we’re a little less optimistic on her future just because of who Carol is and if she thinks that a greater purpose would come from her death.

What about Maggie?

We consider this character right along side the ones we’ve mentioned in terms of importance to the series, and in the video below from yesterday CarterMatt discusses more of what could happen to her in the event Lauren Cohan does leave (be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel here). You can also read more about her future over here.

What do you think: Could we lose Rick, Daryl, or Carol on The Walking Dead before the end? Be sure to share now in the comments!

Meanwhile, you can also like CarterMatt on Facebook in the event you want some other insight when it comes to the series. It’s a great way to stay up to date with all of our coverage on The Walking Dead. (Photo: AMC.)