Jon Bernthal Is Returning For An Episode Of ‘The Walking Dead’ Next Season

Actor Jon Bernthal has been fighting crime lately on Netflix‘s “The Punisher.” But before he was killing guys, Bernthal was best known for fending off zombies. However, it’s been a while since he’s been fighting the undead, as the actor’s stint on AMC‘s “The Walking Dead” ended in season 2, where Bernthal’s character, Shane Walsh, was killed in the season’s final episode by Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln). But then Bernthal returned for an episode in season 3 to haunt Rick. Since then, Shane has been gone from ‘Walking Dead.’ Until now.

READ MORE: Andrew Lincoln Leaving: Is ‘The Walking Dead’ Still Relevant?

As reported by Deadline, Bernthal will return for star Andrew Lincoln’s final season. The return of his Shane Walsh will most likely focus on flashbacks, you know, considering he’s dead and all. Still, AMC has yet to confirm what role, exactly, Shane will play in the final season, but that’s the most logical choice. We doubt that Bernthal would come back just to put on some zombie makeup for a cameo.

Shane’s return to “The Walking Dead” comes at an interesting time for the series. With ratings falling rapidly, and another change in showrunner recently, the popular AMC series is at a crossroads. And since Lincoln is leaving this season, and with this announcement of Bernthal returning, it appears that the series is pulling out all the stops to try to stop the bleeding. Otherwise, much like the zombies in the show, it might be time for AMC to put “The Walking Dead” out of its misery.

READ MORE: Ridley Scott Thinks Horror ‘Works Better’ On TV And Praises ‘The Walking Dead’

Bernthal has kept quite busy since his departure from “The Walking Dead” in 2012. Since then, he’s dabbled in quite a few films. Including “Me And Earl And The Dying Girl,” “Sicario,” “Baby Driver,” and has taken on the titular role in “The Punisher” on Netflix, as mentioned. Deadline also reported that Bernthal recently wrapped season two of “The Punisher.” As for future projects, you can catch the actor in the enormously talented ensemble of director Steve McQueen‘s “Widows,” in theaters this November.

We expect the date for season nine of “The Walking Dead” to be announced soon, but they always tend to come back around October, which is by far the spookiest, most zombie-appropriate month.