Although the fourth season of the AMC network's hit show The Walking Dead is still a considerable amount of time away from launching, new news has indeed come out from its casting department.

According to iDigital Times, Waterboy's Lawrence Gilliard Jr. is in serious talks to play in the upcoming season in a series regular role.

Earlier this month, TVLine stated that AMC was conducting a casting call for the part of Roy Stark, the role of a "former army medic who is deeply haunted by his past."

Gilliard Jr. has also played notable roles in Gangs of New York and The Wire.

If Lilliard were to land the part, he would reunite with former Wire actor Chris Coleman, who plays Tyreese.

In other recent WD news, Recently, comic book creator/ executive producer Robert Kirkman caught fans off guard when he stated to AMC that the killing off of prison group leader Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) isn't being ruled out.

"Yes, absolutely. We've been saying that no one is safe on this show, and I wouldn't rule out seeing the death of Rick Grimes at almost any point. We really like to keep people guessing, and I could definitely see some interesting stories coming from that. While Rick has been a pretty solid leader, he's definitely made his share of mistakes."

The Walking Dead will begin filming its fourth season in May, which is set to air on Sunday, Oct. 14 at 9/8c.

Keep checking back for more of the latest details on the zombie series. A preview video of the upcoming installment can be watched below.