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The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead Crossover Character Revealed!

It's not who we thought...

liam-mathews
Liam Mathews

The character who will finally bridge the worlds of The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead was revealed during Talking Dead following Sunday's episode of The Walking Dead, "The King, the Widow, and Rick."

So who is this pivotal figure? It will be none other than Lennie James going from The Walking Dead to Fear the Walking Dead. Morgan is officially crossing over!

On Talking Dead, James said he was "surprised" that he's the one crossing over, and called the show "Fear of the Walking Dead" three times, so he's still getting his sea legs. James also said it was hard to say goodbye to the cast and crew of The Walking Dead, so it sounds like he'll be taking at least a temporary leave from The Walking Dead to join Fear the Walking Dead''s fourth season.

"Even though Morgan is going to be featured on Fear, he has a lot of story left on The Walking Dead," said The Walking Dead showrunner Scott Gimple in a statement read by Talking Dead host Chris Hardwick. "Morgan's arc on The Walking Dead Season 8 positioned him for the story on Fear. It was also important to see Fear's world and characters through new yet familiar eyes."

James starts shooting Fear the Walking Dead Monday morning in Austin, TX.

Lennie James, The Walking Dead

Lennie James, The Walking Dead

Gene Page/AMC

James' announcement comes as a big surprise because most signs pointed to the one crossing over being Abraham Ford (Michael Cudlitz), a fan favorite who died on The Walking Dead in Season 7. Since Fear the Walking Dead is a prequel and the setting of FTWD's fourth season is shifting to Houston, where Abraham was from, many assumed FTWD was going to feature Abraham before he joined up with Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and the gang.

Previously, Fear the Walking Dead co-creator and showrunner Dave Erickson had said there would never be a crossover between the shows, but Erickson has since left the show and Scott Gimple has joined the spin-off as a consulting executive producer. Those moves, plus declining ratings on both series, means the time for a crossover is now right.

It would have been more fun to be surprised by a familiar face while watching the show, but this gives us time to prepare and psych ourselves up for the crossover in other ways -- like speculating on how Morgan's Walking Dead exit could possibly set up his move to Fear the Walking Dead. Does he build a time machine?

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC. Fear the Walking Dead will return in 2018.