AMC Releases New Spoiler Pictures Of 'The Walking Dead' Season 3, Confirm Merle Dixon's Return

Surprise! AMC has finally announced that Merle Dixon will be returning to season three of "The Walking Dead." Oh wait...you're not surprised because two photos of the fabulous one handed red neck have already been leaked.

Since fans on the Atlanta set leaked some pictures of Michael Rooker in character to Dread Central, AMC's announcement isn't a big shocker. The good news is that the TV network did release a new photo of Rooker as Merle Dixon.

Merle has been the center of fan speculation for some time. The brother of fan favorite Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus), Merle mysteriously disappeared within the first couple episodes of season one.

During season one of "The Walking Dead," Rick (Andrew Lincoln) handcuffed Merle to a metal pipe on a Atlanta department store roof after a physical (and verbal) altercation occurred between Merle and other survivors. The department store soon after became overrun with flesh hungry zombies though, and a last minute attempt to free Merle from his chains ended with the key being dropped down a drain. The roof door had been (pretty poorly) locked by the others before they escaped, but when Rick and Daryl returned to free Merle, the only thing they found were the handcuffs and his severed hand.

Rooker as Merle also made a brief appearance in season two when Daryl found himself hallucinating in the woods after a bad injury.

Previous pictures leaked show that Merle has found the highly anticipated villain of season three, the Governor (David Morrissey). While how the pair met will probably remain a mystery until the start of season three, we can assume one of two situations occurred. Either Merle found the group after severing his own hand and escaping the roof, or one of the Governor's crew saved Merle from the roof.

Whatever Merle's case may be, the new picture revealed by AMC shows that Merle is indeed alive and kicking. Daryl's brother also seems to be sporting a new accessory on his once severed arm.

With his one good hand up to his lips in a silencing motion, Merle is letting fans know that just because our group of survivors might have found a "safe haven" at the Governor's Woodbury settlement, danger is still around the corner.

Take a look at the picture from the AMC site here. What do you think Merle is trying to say in this picture?