Could this be the end of America's favorite crossbow hunting zombie killer? According to a photo published in Entertainment Weekly, Darryl Dixon, played by Norman Reedus, gets quite a beating in the The Walking Dead season 5.

Since the show started, characters have been killed from time to time, and it's always a shock to see who will be next to go. While there's no way to confirm if this is Darryl's last season as a character, what we do know is that there's at least one scene where he's pretty banged up.

The image, which producers of the show released this week to Entertainment Weekly's website, shows Darryl with a swollen right eye and a large scratch on his forehead. He is gagged and tied up. Is he being tortured, or just being made ready for some cannibals to eat? 

Entertainment Weekly writer Dalton Ross humorously described the image, "In it, we see a bloodied and bruised Daryl, who has also been gagged and bound...and not in a sexy way as legions of ladies no doubt dream about on a daily basis. (Or maybe this is considered sexy. I have no idea. People are into some freaky stuff.)" 

A writer from MTV.com reacted this way: "Anyway, we don't think that Daryl will die - not at this point, anyway - but last spring's finale was just so eerily peaceful....that we're gearing up for a potential bloodbath when the show returns in October."

Fans who might be worried that this is the end for Darryl should remain hopeful. As Cleveland.com explains: "It wouldn't be surprising if the assumed cannibals at Terminus view Mr. Dixon as a threat. He will probably be the most outwardly defiant captive next to Rick, who didn't exactly show any signs of giving up at the end of last season.

"Still, I wouldn't worry too much, Daryl fans (and there are a lot). Norman Reedus has been one of the most popular and visible cast members over the last two seasons and killing him would cause a huge uproar."