More than four years after its series premiere, AMC’s zombie drama The Walking Dead is still one of TV’s most watched shows. The last new episode, which aired this past November, delivered an astounding 14.8 million viewers, leaving the series on a high note going into its midseason break. Now, with the midseason premiere only a month away, we finally have some hints of what’s to come in the second half of season 5.

First off, if fans were expecting better times now that most of the group is back together, then showrunner Scott M. Gimple has already put that idea to rest by saying, “This isn’t the last devastating event to befall these characters… they are being tested and they are being pushed and this isn’t the end of that.” Of course, that doesn’t mean they won’t get a bit of a break, especially as they seek out a new place to live and come across some intriguing new characters.

THR has revealed that one of these new characters to be introduced during the second half of season 5 will be played by relative newcomer Ross Marquand. He’ll join the cast as a series regular and will continue on into the already announced season 6. Who he’ll be playing, however, is more of a mystery.

In keeping with the comics, the next step for Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and the group is to travel to Washington D.C. On the November 30th episode of Talking Dead, creator Robert Kirkman hinted that “a very prominent gay character from the comics” would soon be appearing on the show. And so it seems that Aaron, who was first seen in issue #67, is finally coming to The Walking Dead.

His entrance would be the first time a gay male character is featured on the show. The character of Aaron plays a big part in the comics, offering Rick and his group a place to live, defending them against the undead and then traveling with them and his boyfriend Eric in search of food. As of the latest issue, he is still alive and a major ally to Rick and the rest of the survivors.

Do you think Marquand will be playing Aaron? Are you excited to see a badass gay character on The Walking Dead? Let us know in the comments.

The Walking Dead returns to AMC on Sunday, February 8th @9pm.