This follows the usual pattern of many important characters joining The Walking Dead as recurring players, before becoming series regulars the following season.
The Walking Dead season 7 premieres in October 2016 on AMC.
In short, it’s probably not a great time to be a Walking Dead cast member if one enjoys having job security.
Complicating matters is the pending introduction of well-known Walking Dead comic book character Ezekiel – leader of the community known as The Kingdom – and his ferocious pet tiger, Shiva.