Although The Walking Dead's Carl Grimes has been gone for a while, his character would be much older now, raising curiosity about how he would fit it.

Summary

• Carl Grimes' death robbed fans of witnessing his continued character development as one of the most dynamic younger characters on the show.
• Carl's maturity is evident even at 16, as he demonstrates his growth by telling his father Rick that he has to be the one to put himself down.
• The potential for Carl's return and exploring his life as an adult is intriguing, but actor Chandler Riggs' appearance may not currently match the age of the character without some changes and a compelling storyline.

The Walking Dead's Carl Grimes (Chandler Riggs) may not be around anymore, but if he were present in the current timeline, it's worth wondering how old he'd be. Carl's death robs fans of seeing continued character development of arguably one of the most dynamic younger characters on the show. After watching him go from near death as a 12-year-old in season 2 to losing an eye at roughly the age of 14 to getting bitten and dying in season 8 as a 16-year-old, it's intriguing to imagine what he would've done in his adult years had he lived.

His maturity is already clear at the age of 16 when, in his final moments, he tells Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) that he has to be the one to put himself down; that he grew up. The subsequent seasons' events give some insight into what he would've had to overcome, namely Rick's "death," the Whisperer War, and the Commonwealth, all of which span over numerous years. Not to mention, there are multiple characters Carl didn't get to meet, like his half-brother RJ Grimes and Hershel Rhee.

Carl Grimes Would Be Around 30 Years Old In The Walking Dead Now

Although Carl is dead for only about a week by the end of season 8, season 9's premiere propels the story forward by a year and a half. And after the audience says goodbye to Rick in episode 5, there's the biggest time jump yet—6 years. Over the course of the remaining seasons of the show, the last big time jump is a year at the end of the final season. This would make Carl roughly 25 by the end of the parent show.

The latest spin-off, The Walking Dead: Dead City, sets off another huge skip on the Walking Dead timeline. The Dead City premiere is set 5 or 6 years after the events at the end of the parent show's final season. This would make Carl around 30 years old in the franchise's present day. Dead City follows Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Maggie Rhee (Lauren Cohan) on a mission to rescue Hershel, who is now about the age Carl was when he died. A 30-year-old Carl undoubtedly would open up space to explore more adult responsibilities for the character and allow Hershel to act as a Carl Grimes replacement, ultimately filling in the gaps of what Carl's life could have been in his later teen years.

Carl's Age Would Make His Walking Dead Future Difficult

The highly anticipated spin-off The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live potentially peaks even more curiosity about what could've been if Carl was still around. Given that Rick has been gone since early season 9, he has also missed big events, one of which is his second son's birth. If Carl were able to return, a father-son reunion would be interesting considering how much Carl would've changed as he became an adult and how hardened Rick must be after being isolated from his family and a part of the Civic Republic Military (CRM).

Riggs' interest in returning as Carl Grimes means that older Carl gracing the small screen again could happen, in theory. However, Riggs is 24 years old as of 2023 and very young looking. Save for some light stubble and shorter hair, the actor doesn't look too different than he did when he donned the eye-patch. So, while the fan-favorite's return to The Walking Dead would be exciting, it may not be believable enough without a few more years under Riggs' belt and a compelling enough storyline.