On the heels of the news that "The Walking Dead" would feature a gay lead, TV Line has reported the casting of "Mad Men" alum Ross Marquand as a series regular.

Though AMC would not confirm nor deny details of Marquand's role, TV Line speculates that the actor will play Aaron, a gay character who first appeared in "The Walking Dead" #67. In December, executive producer and series creator Robert Kirkman revealed that the show would feature a gay character in its fifth season just as he confirmed Daryl's heterosexuality. As the longest lived gay character in the comic series, Aaron and his boyfriend Eric are the most widely accepted candidates for the show.

As members of the Alexandria Safe-Zone community, Aaron and Eric's potential casting could also offer some clues as to the series' current direction when it concludes its mid-season hiatus.

"The Walking Dead" returns to finish out its fifth season on Sunday, February 8th.