Andrew Lincoln will only appear in a few episodes in season 9 of The Walking Dead before he's written off the show. The nature of his character's departure is naturally being kept under wraps, leaving plenty of speculation as to whether Rick Grimes will die or simply leave to establish a different settlement.
Speaking to EW, Andrew Lincoln revealed that there wasn't anything complicated, malevolent or financial about his decision. He just wanted to return home to his family.
"I have two young children, and I live in a different country, and they become less portable as they get older. It was that simple. It was time for me to come home."
That's perfectly commendable and sensible, owing to the fact that Lincoln resides in Wiltshire, England when not in Atlanta, filming The Walking Dead. As his children get older, make friends and start school, it's perfectly reasonable that he wouldn't want to uproot them every year to live in another country.
Season 9 of The Walking Dead premiere this fall.