AMC aired a trailer for The Walking Dead season 10’s big finale last month and it caused a real stir online. Not only did it tease the return of Maggie, but it also offered a glimpse of a mysterious masked figure wielding twin pick axe-like weapons. There’s been much speculation about this newcomer’s identity, and now a fan theory that’s gaining traction suggests he might actually be a returning character.
Users on both Reddit and Twitter have raised the possibility that the masked stranger could be none other than Duane Jones, Morgan’s son who featured in season 1 and was later mentioned in season 3. Although this idea has sparked a lot of online chatter, it would be one hell of a twist considering Morgan reported in the third season that his son was bitten and turned.
Several Reddit users have highlighted this, though subscribers to the theory have pointed out that Morgan was struggling with mental illness at the time and may have been confused about his son’s fate. Detractors, however, argue that the death of Morgan’s son was clearly the trigger for his mental health problems.
Let’s say Duane did somehow survive beyond season 3 though, he’ll have been little more than 10 years old at that point, so he wouldn’t exactly be well equipped to go it alone in the zombie-infested wilderness. In any case, this fan theory at least generated discussion about The Walking Dead‘s return and the identity of the mysterious stranger.
Duane, of course, isn’t the only person who could be beneath that mask. As some fans on social media have pointed out, it could be a woman under there. It might even be Maggie, since we know she’ll be turning up in season 10’s finale and the trailer teases her return. Then again, it could equally be someone we’ve never met before.
The Walking Dead‘s latest season finale was scheduled to air in April until the coronavirus crisis led to it being delayed. AMC is yet to announce a new date for the episode beyond “2020,” but at least that means we shouldn’t have too long to wait to learn the masked stranger’s identity and find out how the good guys will fare against the remaining Whisperers and their massive undead hoard.