Will the Walking Dead spinoffs ever merge into a final sequel series, something along the lines of “The Walking Dead 2”?
There was a time a few years back when The Walking Dead was the biggest show on television. It stood alongside TV giants like Game of Thrones, attracting massive audiences week in, week out. While it may have lost viewership in its later seasons, it still has a massive fandom behind it.
Despite the main show ending back in 2022, AMC has continued to pump out a steady supply of spinoffs. This includes The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, The Walking Dead: Dead City, and The Ones Who Live. Both Daryl Dixon and Dead City are still ongoing; the former will conclude with its third season in 2026.
After Daryl Dixon ends, the only series still going ahead is Dead City. This puts the franchise in its most precarious state yet. There’s no other projects confirmed to be in development. Will The Walking Dead ultimately fizzle out? Or are there still more stories to explore?
Many of The Walking Dead cast are still invested.
Upon scouring interviews with key cast members, a lot of them have hinted and teased their future in the Walking Dead Universe. Let’s take a look at some quotes.
After wrapping Daryl Dixon season 4, Norman Reedus waved goodbye to the franchise through a heartfelt message — although he’s refused to rule out never returning. In his statement , Reedus wrote:
“Daryl Dixon has been an incredible journey. I thank each and every fan who has joined us on this ride. It’s been a privilege to build this story for these characters, and we have so much gratitude for how it’s been embraced. Your love and support have made every moment worth it. This finale isn’t just an ending; it’s a celebration of what we’ve all shared together. Keep carrying that love forward – Daryl’s journey is far from over.”
Other cast members haven’t ruled out returning either. Look no further than Andrew Lincoln (Rick Grimes). Back in September 2025, the actor hinted at a possible return. “There’s a conversation happening right now,” he said in an interview with Laura Kuenssberg. Of course, there was no elaboration on that. But the fact that there’s a conversation bodes well for the future.
Meanwhile, Jeffrey Dean Morgan seems happy to play Negan for a while longer. “This has been part of my life for so long now that I don’t ever picture it ending,” he told Variety in May 2025, “unless I finally say I’m too old to do this anymore, which I am getting dangerously close to.”
The Walking Dead boss Scott Gimple is “not against” season 12.
Franchise overseer Scott Gimple has previously hinted that the spinoffs could converge at some point, essentially bringing back the main show. “The dream would be that these shows somehow converge in some way, narratively,” he said during New York Comic Con in 2023, per Comic Book. As for what would essentially be season 12, he added: “I’m not against it.”
Additionally, he’s also teased that the show’s characters could continue to be explored for another 15 years. “It’s quite possible we could see this group up here 15 years from now,” he told Variety on the show’s fifteenth anniversary. “There are many more continents to visit. It’s about how [the characters] evolve over time. It’s really exciting to see how far we can take this. In a lot of ways, [the locations] give the story to us,” he said.
It’s very clear that AMC has big plans for the future of The Walking Dead, and things are actively being worked on. The overall feeling towards continuing to build out the franchise is positive. Whether that means ‘season 12’ remains to be seen. But if one thing is for certain, The Walking Dead is absolutely not dead.
