Who’s the mysterious masked character in the trailer for the finale of The Walking Dead season 10. The latest run of zombie apocalypse mayhem has certainly been eventful. The Whisperers destroyed Hilltop and invaded Alexandria, forcing the residents to evacuate and hole-up in a nearby hospital. Negan and Carol successfully executed their plan to execute Alpha, allowing fans to finally learn the true identity of Beta. The Commonwealth arc finally kicked off, with Eugene leading a group of survivors for a rendezvous with Stephanie, and Michonne left the show after discovering a hint that Rick Grimes might still be alive.
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Unfortunately, The Walking Dead season 10’s final episode has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, and fans were left on the cliffhanger of Beta bringing the Whisperers right to the front door of the heroes’ temporary home. The trailer stunningly reveals the return of Lauren Cohan’s Maggie, but behind that huge headline is a mysterious masked figure who seems to be helping Aaron and Alden, last seen surrounded by Whisperers in the forest. Sporting a mask and twin scythe-like blades, the character clearly has some martial arts skill, but Aaron and Alden are (rightfully) unsure as to whether this newbie can be trusted.
Despite only getting a brief glimpse of the masked marauder, there are 2 major theories as to who this new character could be in The Walking Dead‘s season 10 finale. The first option is a returning Morgan, fresh from his stint in the Fear The Walking Dead spinoff series. Morgan’s time on the other side of the franchise hasn’t been well-received by fans and he was most recently seen tending a bullet wound and surrounded by zombies. Of course, The Walking Dead is now set years ahead of its spinoff, leaving plenty of time for Morgan to trek back home and pick up some fancy new weapons along the way. Morgan wore a similar mask while wandering through the wild on his way to Alexandria previously, and is a known practitioner of Aikido, which would account for the fancy moves. This would be a convenient and well-timed way of reintroducing Morgan to The Walking Dead.
Since Morgan is set to appear in Fear The Walking Dead season 6, however, a more likely theory is that this new character is Mercer, a character from The Walking Dead‘s comic series. Mercer is a member of the Commonwealth and the head of their military force, making him one of the best fighters in the series, consistent with what the trailer’s enigmatic newcomer. The biggest clues, however, are the weapons. In the comic books, Mercer’s signature zombie-killers are two ornately decorated axes. The masked character’s weapons are certainly closer to scythes than axes, but the jagged, stylized blades are very reminiscent of what Mercer uses.
But why would Mercer help Aaron and Alden, and why would he want to mask his identity while doing so? The answers may lie in Mercer’s comic arc. Now that a meeting has been set up, it’s possible that the Commonwealth sent people to scout out Alexandria and Hilltop ahead of time. In the comics, Mercer is a good man restrained by the confines of the Commonwealth, who aren’t necessarily the type of community to jump to the aid of others without a good reason. Mercer, however, isn’t entirely satisfied with his employers and might’ve decided to help fight the Whisperers in secret, unable to sit by with the other scouts and watch Eugene’s people get killed.
It’s also possible that Mercer’s appearance is directly related to Maggie’s return. The trailer confirms that Carol has written to Maggie asking for help, and The Walking Dead hasn’t yet revealed whether Maggie moved to the Commonwealth or somewhere different. If Maggie has been living in the Commonwealth, she no doubt would’ve asked them to save her old friends – a request the Commonwealth would’ve likely turned down if they’re anything like their comic book counterparts. Aware of Mercer’s displeasure with Commonwealth management, perhaps Maggie secretly assigned him to take the mission alone.
The Walking Dead season 10 is currently on hiatus due to the current pandemic.
