In the Season 6 finale of The Walking Dead that aired on Sunday night, fans got their first glimpse at two unique, yet unnamed characters, who come across Morgan (Lennie James) and Carol (Melissa Suzanne McBride). Given the unique costumes they were wearing, many fans familiar with Robert Kirkman's comic books are speculating that these characters belong to another group of survivors known as The Kingdom. During a new interview with ComicBook.com, showrunner Scott M. Gimple teased that those characters may or may not have been from The Kingdom, while hinting that fans may see an actual live tiger on the show in Season 7.
"Those guys may or may not have been from The Kingdom. We may or may not see The Kingdom. If we do see The Kingdom, it'll be a big reveal and it'll be another new world to inhabit and explore. Can we have a real tiger? That's a great way to put the questions to me because it sort of corners me into a spoiler. I would say, in a really cheeky way, that we can have a lot of things and people are gonna have to wait and see. If I were just watching the show - I'd want to see that tiger."
In the comics, The Kingdom is a college campus that has been fortified and turned into a survivor's colony, much like the Alexandria Safe-Zone where Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and his crew inhabit. The Kingdom is lead by a man named King Ezekiel, a former zookeeper who runs The Kingdom, with a massive tiger known as Shiva at his side. Comic book creator Robert Kirkman teased the possibility of a tiger last year, before production on Season 6 began.
The Kingdom was first introduced in the 108th issue of The Walking Dead comics, just eight issues after the introduction of Negan, played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who will be a series regular in Season 7. It seems like a rather safe bet that we'll be introduced to The Kingdom next season, but Scott M. Gimple wouldn't confirm their presence quite yet. The showrunner did tease earlier this week that the new season will pick up right where the Season 6 finale left off, showing fans who Negan killed in the season finale.
Of course, the presence of a live tiger would certainly add an intriguing new dynamic to the series, but we'll have to wait and see if Scott M. Gimple ends up confirming The Kingdom's presence as we get closer to production starting on Season 7. Are you looking forward to seeing King Ezekiel, Shiva and The Kingdom in Season 7 of The Walking Dead? Chime in with your thoughts, and stay tuned for more updates.