Will Rick Grimes return in season 11 of The Walking Dead?

The biggest question on many Walking Dead fans’ minds is, “Will Rick Grimes return for season 11?” The series started with Rick, and most feel it should end with him as well. But will we see the return of Rick in the series before the final episode airs?

The opening of season 1 of The Walking Dead introduced us to Sheriff Deputy Rick Grimes, who Andrew Lincoln plays. The series opens with Rick driving down the road searching for gas when he comes upon a gas station. It is pure chaos with overturned and burned-out cars, tents, personal belongings were strewn about, many dead people and a sign that reads NO GAS.

There is no dialogue up to this point, and the first words we hear Rick Grimes say is “Little girl.” Then you know what happens next. We see the first walker kill of the series. And, this was not an easy one to watch as it was a child. Then queue the theme song.

I get goosebumps every time the theme song begins. It is so iconic and brings back all the memories of the earlier seasons when this show was the best thing on TV.

Rick Grimes The Walking Dead season 11

Rick Grimes is greatly missed in the series as he is The Walking Dead. He was the group leader who didn’t always make the right choices but did make the hard ones. He led his people the best way he knew how and often turned to people like Hershel, Deanna, Michonne, Daryl and others to help make those hard decisions.

Fans want and expect  Rick to return in the final season. But, will the showrunners save his return for the movies? That is where we are supposed to see Rick next, but the reality is, fans need to see him.

Many have given up hope that we will ever see a movie let alone the promised three. So, giving Rick at least a small part in the final season would be a balm that soothes them until the films can be completed.

Earlier this year, Lincoln interviewed with SFX magazine and talked about the future of Rick Grimes.

"“I have signed for more than one film. I am a producer on it. I will not be directing, because I don’t like watching myself, so that would be a self-defeating exercise. It would just be the most painful… yeah, it just wouldn’t happen! All of those answers will hopefully be resolved in the next couple of months but, yes, there’s more than one. We need to get the first one absolutely right and that’s why it’s taken longer than we anticipated – and obviously with the pandemic. I can’t wait. I’m really excited about broadening the scale and scope of the story and finding out where Rick is.”"

He did not mention the series, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. Filming for the final season will continue until March 2022, so there is still plenty of time to get him in on the filming if he hasn’t already.

Only time will tell if we will see Rick before the finale episode of the series airs in late 2022. And, if he does return I hope they keep it a secret until we see him grace our screens once again.

The Walking Dead returns to AMC on February 20, 2022.