The first photo of Kim Dickens' return to Fear the Walking Dead shows lots of leather

The (ever-expanding) Walking Dead universe was rocked by the news in December that original Fear the Walking Dead series lead Kim Dickens would be returning to the series with an appearance in season 7, followed by full series-regular status in season 8. And now we have our first photo of that return.

The image of Dickens' reemergence as Madison Clark (see below) was unveiled as part of the show's virtual Wondercon panel Saturday, with Madison sporting the exact same (apparently flame-retardant) leather jacket she wore when we were led to believe she had perished way back in season 4. (She's also got some badass fingerless leather gloves to complete the ensemble.)

The photo follows a recent trailer in which Madison shuffled into what appeared to be a type of interrogation room, reaching for an oxygen mask while covering her "Alicia" and "Nick" tattoos.

"What's your name?" a voice asks over a speaker box. "Madison," she responds. "Not anymore," the voice replies. "We will tell you who you are going to be from now on." Ooooh, mysterious!

Dickens' character was originally "killed" in season 4's midseason finale, "No One's Gone," seemingly sacrificing herself during the Vultures' zombie assault by leading the walkers back into the stadium and then locking herself in so that the others could escape.

However, in season 6's "Mother," the appearance of other presumed dead survivors of the baseball stadium assault — Cole (Sebastian Sozzi), Douglas (Kenneth Wayne Bradley), and Vivian (Rhoda Griffis) — left fans hoping Madison might also still be alive out there… somewhere. And now those hopes are becoming a reality.

Dickens was crestfallen when she was originally written off the show in season 4. "Well, it was shocking," she told EW at the time. "It was heartbreaking. I have loved this character, I've loved playing this character, I've loved this show, and I'm so proud to be a strong female-empowered lead of a genre show…. I also thought there were so many more stories to tell and so many more places to go, so I was initially shocked and disappointed and heartbroken. But you know, it's in the hands of the writers and the producers, and that's the fate that befalls so many of the characters in this genre."

Fear co-showrunner Ian Goldberg explained the decision then to EW as necessary to propel the action: "It really came down to the story that we wanted to tell. It's an emotional decision. As fans of The Walking Dead universe, we understand how hard it is to lose a member of this family, and there's a world in which beloved characters come and go. No one is ever safe, but yes, of course, losing Madison is a big one."

And bringing her back is even bigger. "If there were a Mt. Deadmore, Kim Dickens' face would be on it," said Scott M. Gimple, chief content officer of the Walking Dead universe, as part of the December reveal of the actresses' return. "Madison Clark is a foundational character to TWDU — heroic, complex, an everyperson who becomes a warrior and then a force of benevolence. Kim Dickens' raw talent, strength, and brilliance will electrify TWDU once more, and we couldn't be luckier to have her back."

In addition to the first look of Dickens' return as Madison, the Fear Wondercon panel also released a scene from episode 710, directed by series star Lennie James. You can watch that scene above, as Charlie (Alexa Nisenson) attempts to make a deal in order to gain entry to Stand's (Colman Domingo) tower, and then watch the entire premiere April 17 on AMC and AMC+.

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Related content:

• Fear the Walking Dead showrunners answer midseason finale burning questions
• The Fear the Walking Dead showrunners on the return of a familiar face
• Fear the Walking Dead showrunners on Strand going full Negan
• Is Fear the Walking Dead making Strand a villain in season 7