‘The Walking Dead’ Showrunner Confirms That New Character Is Not Mercer From The Comic Books

The latest installment of The Walking Dead not only saw the return of long-time favorite Maggie Rhee (Lauren Cohan) but an intriguing new character first seen in Episode 15. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, a much larger hiatus separated that episode and the Season 10 finale, meaning that fans could discuss in-depth who this person could be. Among the theories, Mercer from the comic books became a likely contender. While speculation has been rife, the series showrunner, Angela Kang, has struck down one of the current fan theories regarding the mystery character that wears a mask and wields deadly weapons.

SPOILER ALERT: This article discusses Episode 16 (titled “A Certain Doom”) of AMC’s The Walking Dead Season 10. Please proceed with caution if you have not yet viewed all available episodes and wish to avoid spoilers.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, this new person was introduced at the very end of the last installment. First seen by Aaron (Ross Marquand), they then went on to act as a deadly bodyguard who helped to save Father Gabriel’s (Seth Gilliam) life in The Walking Dead.

While Mercer does not wear a mask in the comics, it seemed like he was the closest fit. However, Kang has now denounced this theory, according to Business Insider.

“It is not Mercer,” she stated bluntly before giving viewers more of an insight into the character’s identity.

“I’ll say that we will learn more about this character and kind of who they are and what Maggie has been through more recently. That’s going to be a big part of the story in the six episodes to come, but also in the Season [11] as a whole to come.”

The latest installment of The Walking Dead saw this person arrive alongside Maggie. This is a good indicator that they are a member of the as yet unconfirmed group that she is now with. However, it is strongly suggested by many that this is a branch of the Commonwealth, a group that has featured in the comics but not in the TV series yet.

Kang also explained that this particular storyline will be explored further in the upcoming six episodes. AMC has ordered an extension to their regular season length and it is possible that these will air as a bridge between the two seasons.

As yet, no further details regarding this have been revealed by AMC. And, considering that the coronavirus pandemic continues to result in production slow downs on filming for television and movies, it seems likely that there is still some time yet until fans can find out more about this storyline.