In October, the premiere episode of The Walking Dead will address who Negan ultimately kills, a scene that we know will be disturbing. Beyond Negan’s victim, however, The Walking Dead will also return to the Hilltop Colony, it will explore The Kingdom with Ezekiel and Shiva, and Negan will spend some time in Alexandria while Alexandrians will be forced to spend some time in the Saviors’ camp.
There has been speculation, however, that The Walking Dead could see yet another villainous faction, The Whisperers, a mysterious group of survivors who disguise themselves as walkers by wearing their skin. There were characters in the season seven trailer attacking Heath and Tara that some suggested could be the Whisperers, although Robert Kirkman claims that the series is not yet there.
Despite Kirkman’s denial, however, a casting notice for a new, recurring character this season has fanned speculation that it is the leader of the Whisperers, Alpha. The casting call is for a character named “Brion,” which The Spoiling Dead describes as a “confident, educated, pokerfaced leader who has a superior air and does not let his/her motives be known.” Meanwhile, the leader of the Whisperers can best be described as stoic woman who enjoys her possession of power.
It does seem unlikely that the Whisperers — the main antagonists later on in the series — would be making an appearance this early on. However, “Brion” is scheduled to appear in episodes 10 and 12 in the seventh season, and it’s not out of the question to believe that Scott Gimple might briefly introduce Alpha to the series and bring her back in season eight to fulfill her larger arc. The fact that the casting call asks for a “him” or “her,” however, may rule out Alpha because femininity is a defining characteristic of her character.
As the character description does not otherwise seem to fit another character from the comics, if it’s not Alpha, it’s more likely that it’s a series-created character, and in The Walking Dead, any other “leader” who is not Rick Grimes is likely to pose a threat.
The Walking Dead returns to AMC on Sunday, October 23.
(Via Cinemablend)
