New Walking Dead season 7 image teases a new character and… a junkyard?

The Walking Dead season 7’s return is closing in on us and, if there’s one thing the show loves to do, (besides killing off everyone you ever cared about) it’s pulling back the curtain ever so slightly and teasing us with fresh possibilities – just like this new shot of a brand-new location and character.

Revealed by Entertainment Weekly, the shot has Rick doing his trademark side-on, over-the-shoulder ‘I don’t trust you yet’ pose (seriously, what’s the deal with that?) to a mysterious woman in a junkyard.

Showrunner Scott Gimple isn’t too keen to let us in on the grand reveal just yet, but all will be made clear pretty soon, as he hints, “I’m just going to say that Rick is going to meet this person and/or persons pretty quickly… I cannot wait for people to meet this character and to see this actor. There is some formidable fun coming up.”

It sounds like The Walking Dead will add a recognisable face to its ever-decreasing ensemble. But just who is this person and will they help Rick rise up against the looming threat of Negan? Rumours indicate it’s a figure called Brion - a completely original character.

Find out for sure when The Walking Dead returns on AMC on February 12.