Williams is still probably best known for starring on the long-running sitcom Everybody Hates Chris, but he was more recently a regular on the short-lived Matthew Perry series Go On. As you might have gathered from the phrase “mystery role” above (a description used by THR in its original report), nothing else is currently known about Noah, or to what extent he will figure into the overarching plot of Walking Dead’s fifth season.
It is also unclear exactly which episode Williams will make his debut in, or whether the young thespian has signed on to join the regular cast, be a recurring player, or simply function as a one-off guest star. What we do know is that Williams’ Noah character doesn’t exist in the ongoing Robert Kirkman comic book series that inspired The Walking Dead’s small-screen adaptation, meaning he will be a completely fresh addition to the franchise’s ever-burgeoning canon.
One logical route for The Walking Dead’s creative team to take would be for Noah to be a resident of the seemingly cannibalistic survivors colony known as Terminus, since it’s unlikely that we caught a glimpse of everyone that lives there during Rick and company’s short jaunt through the complex.
Conversely, Noah may just be another traveler trying to make his way in The Walking Dead‘s harsh landscape – one who perhaps comes upon Terminus himself, and is thus united with Rick’s group through circumstance. Then again, Noah may just be a guy Carol and Tyreese meet up with before arriving at Terminus. The creative possibilities are pretty wide open.
A final option to consider is that Noah could be a character that somehow connects the world of The Walking Dead to that of its upcoming companion series. That might seem unlikely on the surface, but we currently have no idea where the spin-off will be set, or when in the timeline of the zombie virus that it will take place. Kirkman has said that he wants the new series to stand on its own merits, but that doesn’t necessarily preempt any type of creative connection between the two projects.
The Walking Dead season five premieres Sunday, October 12th at 9/8c on AMC.
