The Walking Dead Fans Think This The True Identity Of The Masked Man

With 10 seasons under its belt, The Walking Dead has seemingly proven itself to be a show that just can't be killed. It turns out, however, that there was one thing that could put a halt to the series' runaway success: A real-life pandemic. Season 10 abruptly came to a halt earlier in 2020 as the show was unable to complete post-production on the remaining episodes. 

Fortunately, it seems as though fans won't have to wait too long for their fix, as it was recently announced the show has resumed production on season 10's remaining episodes, which will help bridge the gap for the show's split-into-two-parts final season. Still, there are plenty of questions that plague fans to which we won't get answers any time soon. What really happened to Rick (Andrew Lincoln) after the CRM abducted him? How will the show spin-off Daryl and Carol into their own series? Plus, the one question that seems to be on every fan's mind: Who is the masked man?

When, after months of delay, The Walking Dead aired a new episode on October 4th titled "A Certain Doom," ,fans were treated to the return of Maggie (Lauren Cohan), and she's not alone. She's accompanied by a mysterious man in a mask wielding multiple blades. We don't gain a lot of insight into what he's about, but any time you bring in a cool-looking character with a mysterious identity, fans are going to go wild. Speculation has already run rampant about who this masked man is and how he could factor into future episodes, and t345678\\][pere are already some pretty good guesses out there. 

In a Reddit thread started by u/mockthebells, fans guessed pretty much anyone you could think of in terms of who's really under the mask. Everyone from Black Noir on The Boys to T-Dog (who already died on The Walking Dead) gets thrown out, but some theories have more weight behind them than others. One of the more popular theories involves Heath (Corey Hawkins) returning to the show. 

As fans may remember, Heath was captured by a group of scavengers in the season 7 episode "Swear." These bandits later trade Heath to the CRM in exchange for supplies, and we never see him again outside of him appearing as part of a hallucination in season 10. That hallucination could hold a lot of weight as it reminded fans of Heath's existence and could suggest he'll return to the show in a more serious capacity down the line. 

Redditor u/vectron93 brings this up as a possibility by stating, "Some people think it's Heath. But it's all rumors. I guess it's someone we already know, no reason to hide their face if otherwise." It would certainly be interesting if Heath was behind the mask. During the few episodes he was in, the audience really didn't get any indication he was capable of the Masked Man's fighting style. There's also the matter that he was taken away by the CRM, the same organization that abducted Rick. Based on what we learn from the CRM on The Walking Dead and World Beyond, the CRM doesn't take too kindly to people trying to escape. How would Heath have gotten away when Rick couldn't have? 

It's possible there are answers to these questions that could hint at how Rick could return to the show. For the time being, it remains to be seen when/how Heath comes back. 

It would certainly make sense for the Masked Man to be someone we already know. After all, it would be pretty anticlimactic if the person took off the mask, and it was just some random guy. With production currently finishing filming season 10 and two parts of season 11 left to film, though, it's entirely possible the writers behind the show haven't even figured out an identity. 

After all, when Maggie and the Masked Man show up in "A Certain Doom," Maggie says, "He's with me." Why wouldn't she just say "Oh, this is Heath" when asked about the Masked Man if that's who it really was? It's possible Maggie doesn't even know his identity, but another possibility seems to be that this warrior could be a famous face from the comics. The show just hasn't cast an actor in the role yet, so they're keeping it a secret for the time being. 

Redditor u/Classic1990 brings this up by stating, "Not someone known in the show yet. Same way they teased Michonne without actually revealing her face." The show has managed to stay fresh since Rick Grimes left, and part of that has involved bringing on new, intriguing characters to keep the audience invested. No doubt we'll continue learning about this mysterious Masked Man as the series continues, and see how he and Maggie met and worked together to return to her companions. There aren't many episodes left, but luckily, fans have three Walking Dead films coming up centered around Rick that are certainly to itch any zombie-related scratches they may have.