The spinoff of The Walking Dead focused on Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier is still in development at AMC, according to showrunner Angela Kang. Based on Robert Kirkman’s wildly popular zombie apocalypse comic book series of the same name, The Walking Dead premiered in 2010 and its 11th and final season begins August 22. Over the past decade, the show has become a worldwide phenomenon and has already spawned spinoffs Fear the Walking Dead and The Walking Dead: World Beyond, as well as an upcoming trilogy of movies focused on the original series’ main character, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln).
Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier, played by actors Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride, have been part of The Walking Dead since the show’s first season. Though Daryl did not appear in the comics and Carol’s role was expanded for the TV show, both characters have undergone tremendous growth and transformation over the course of the series. They also both quickly emerged as fan favorites, and Daryl and Carol’s unlikely friendship won over viewers. The spinoff focused on them was first announced almost a year ago, with current TWD showrunner Kang and former TWD showrunner Scott Gimple set to develop it.
During a recent podcast interview for Deadline (via ComicBook), Kang confirmed that the as-yet-untitled Daryl and Carol spinoff is still in the works at AMC, and she discussed the upcoming transition to it from The Walking Dead. According to Kang, the creative team has pitched a potential pilot for the spinoff, and though the show is still in the development process, they “at least have a plan which hopefully will work out.” Read Kang’s comments below:
“We’ve definitely talked about how we think we land them and where they kind of tip-off to. We have pitched out what we think is the pilot, and it’s all in development, which is on its own schedule.
Things are still in the process of being broken by beats and written and all of that, but we at least have a plan which hopefully will work out.”
Kang and Gimple have previously revealed that the Daryl and Carol spinoff will be very different than The Walking Dead, and that it would have a lighter tone than the flagship series. Kang has also commented that the new series would be a road show, which would indicate that Daryl and Carol will be on the move, likely having adventures that may be more episodic in nature. Details about the plot are otherwise under wraps, but the series is expected to premiere in 2023.
It will certainly be interesting to see what Kang and Gimple have in store for Daryl and Carol moving forward. A more light-hearted show could allow the creative team freedom to explore themes and storylines that may have seemed out of place on one of the darker series within the Walking Dead universe. There will also be more freedom in general, as the new spinoff will no longer be beholden to the comics as source material. Of course, it will still be a zombie apocalypse, and Kang and Gimple likely have some twists planned, so viewers probably shouldn’t expect Daryl and Carol to be on easy street. At the very least, fans of Daryl and Carol can find reassurance in the fact that, with a spinoff in the works, the two beloved characters will certainly survive the upcoming final season of The Walking Dead – though what shape they’ll be in by the end, only time will tell.
