'Walking Dead' Season 5 Theories: Will Noah Get Killed Off? Tyler James Williams Cast In New TV Show

“The Walking Dead” actor Tyler James Williams, despite just recently joining the cast in Season 5, has already lined up another recurring TV role. This has led some to believe that, with juggling two shows being a difficult task for any actor, his character Noah might not stick around on AMC zombie-drama.

Deadline reports that the former “Everybody Hates Chris” lead has signed on to co-star opposite Gary Sinise in the upcoming “Criminal Minds” spinoff on CBS. Williams will play Monty in the backdoor pilot, which will air during episode 19 of “Criminal Minds” this spring. Monty is described as a kind-hearted tech analyst for the team, a division of the FBI that seeks to help American citizens who find themselves in trouble overseas. Williams’ character will stay in the U.S. and coordinate with the families of those the new team is trying to help.

This sounds like a pretty meaty part for someone who is returning in the second half of “The Walking Dead” Season 5. For those who don’t remember [SPOILER ALERT] Noah joined the group after he tried to help Beth (Emily Kinney) escape Grady Memorial Hospital. Although they failed to save Beth, when last we saw Noah, he was traveling with Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and the rest of the survivors.

It’s impossible to tell, given this limited information, if Williams’ casting in a new show means his character is going to be killed off. It’s worth mentioning that the character doesn’t exist in Robert Kirkman’s “The Walking Dead” graphic novels. However, the character does bare some striking similarities to Noah Cruz from the official “Walking Dead” videogame starring Norman Reedus’ character, Daryl Dixon.

In the video game “Survival Instinct,” Daryl first encounters Noah Cruz in a hospital, similar to how Williams’ character was introduced on the AMC series. The player has the option to either save Cruz or get medical supplies. Depending on what he or she chooses, Noah’s fate is somewhat different. According to the game’s guide, Noah Cruz can later attempt to sick a pack of Walkers on Daryl, similar to the hallway scene in Season 5 where Noah robs Daryl and Carol (Melissa McBride) and cuts Walkers out of a tent to cover his escape. No matter what the player decides to do though, Noah’s fate is either death or disappearance, which wouldn’t bode well for Williams' continued presence in the show. So, although the TV character isn’t necessarily based on the videogame character, the parallels are impossible to ignore.

Fans will simply have to wait until the midseason premiere of “The Walking Dead” on Feb. 8 to find out what the fate of young Noah will be. Until then, they can watch the teaser trailer for the show’s Season 5 return below.