‘Walking Dead’ Season 5 Spoilers: New Character Cast; Is Seth Gilliam's Role Connected To Beth's Kidnapping?

Prepare for some fresh blood on “The Walking Dead.” As the AMC series begins prepping for the highly anticipated fifth season, the network has released some juicy new casting news.

According to Deadline, “Wire” alum Seth Gilliam will be joining “The Walking Dead” as a series regular in Season 5. Gilliam has been cast as a character named “Michael Todd,” but there is a slight twist. “Michael Todd” isn’t actually the character. The real name of the new addition to the show is actually being kept a secret -- meaning that Seth Gilliam’s role could be a major one from Robert Kirkman’s comic series.

Gilliam’s upcoming character is described as “having two sides, displaying a friendly, puckish humor but also having a haunted side stemming from a dark secret.” The description has fans speculating that “Michael Todd” is actually Father Gabriel Stokes from Kirkman’s graphic novels.

In the comics, Father Gabriel is a reverend of a regional church. He survived in the zombie apocalypse by locking the church doors … and allowing whole families to be killed by walkers. Rick’s group stumbled across Father Gabriel and his church after the Governor’s attack on the prison. The introduction of Father Gabriel coincides with the arrival of “The Hunters” -- or as most fans call them, the cannibals.

The theory around the potential introduction of Father Gabriel is that he was the one responsible for kidnapping Beth -- who as of the Season 4 finale, was still missing. “Walking Dead” viewers will remember that Daryl and Beth were trying to escape walkers who had overrun the funeral home they were staying at. Daryl forced Beth to head outside without him, and when he followed her out shortly after he discovered her bag of supplies abandoned and a car speeding off. The big clue linking Beth’s disappearance to Father Gabriel is that the car that was speeding off had a large cross in the back window.

As Scott Gimple previously dished in a fan Q&A, he’s “really excited” for fans to discover what happened to Beth.

“It might be a little heartbreaking, it might be a little heartwarming,” he teased. “But it’s going to be interesting.”

Seth Gilliam will be joining fellow former “Wire” co-stars Lawrence Gilliard Jr. and Chad L. Coleman.

What do you think of the casting? Do you think Seth Gilliam will be playing Father Gabriel? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or send a tweet to @AmandaTVScoop.