The Walking Dead Showrunner Says "All Out War" Will End in Season 8

The Walking Dead's "All Out War" won't be endless.

In fact, it'll be over pretty quickly once it starts; showrunner Scott Gimple confirmed to EW that the war between factions led by Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) will end in Season 8.

It's a surprisingly candid admission from a show that usually sticks to secrecy, but kind of reassuring in a way. The lead-up to the war has taken a season-and-a-half and has dragged at times, so keeping the actual war itself to a tight timeline may ensure that the show stays lean. Plus it's just nice to know as a viewer that a story has a planned end, you know?

The future of the show after the end of the war is already being hinted, too -- the Season 8 trailer contains a scene that fans think is a flash-forward to the time after the war seen in the comics. In the comics, there's a time jump after Negan has been defeated and Rick and the gang are rebuilding. Negan survives in the comics, so it'll be interesting to see if Jeffrey Dean Morgan sticks around past this season.

Check Out Some Very Cool The Walking Dead Season 8 Key Art

The end of the war sets up a new enemy, the Whisperers, led by a mysterious woman who goes by Alpha. EW asked if the Whisperers will be introduced in Season 8, but Gimple isn't giving up all the info. "I'm going to give you a full no-comment on that," he said.

The Walking Dead Season 8 premieres Sunday, Oct. 22 at 9/8c.