Alpha is back! Samantha Morton to return for Tales of the Walking Dead

The Walking Dead fans haven't seen the last of Alpha.

Samantha Morton will return to her role as leader of the Whisperers for Tales of the Walking Dead, making her the first veteran of The Walking Dead to be announced for the anthology spin-off series.

Alpha will feature in a single episode in the six-part first season, EW has learned. Plot details are being kept under wraps.

As Walking Dead fans know, Alpha terrorized the survivors at Alexandria, Hilltop, and the Kingdom as the leader of the Whisperers, a group who would cut off the faces of walkers, wear them as masks, and walk among the living dead unnoticed, allowing them to command entire hordes of walkers.

We're assuming this Tales of the Walking Dead episode is a prequel story for the character, since (SPOILER ALERT!) Alpha was assassinated by Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) on The Walking Dead proper. The flagship show featured some flashbacks to how she and her daughter Lydia (Cassady McClincy) survived the beginning of the outbreak and how she later met up with the man who would become her second-in-command, Beta (Ryan Hurst).

Tales of the Walking Dead promises other familiar faces from the franchise will show up, but so far AMC has largely confirmed newcomers. Lauren Glazier (Mindhunter) and Matt Medrano (Yellowstone) are the latest new additions to the cast.

Anthony Edwards (Inventing Anna), Parker Posey (Lost in Space), Terry Crews (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Poppy Liu (Hacks), Jillian Bell (Brittany Runs a Marathon), Olivia Munn (X-Men: Apocalypse), Jessie T. Usher (The Boys), Danny Ramirez (The Falcon and The Winter Soldier), Loan Chabanol (Fading Gigolo), and Embeth Davidtz (Old) were previously announced as appearing in the spin-off.

Channing Powell, a writer on The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead, is serving as showrunner of Tales of the Walking Dead, which is set to premiere this summer. Scott M. Gimple, chief content officer of the Walking Dead Universe, will executive-produce.

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