Season 11 may mark the end of The Walking Dead, but a massive future lies ahead for the AMC zombie franchise. The Walking Dead‘s ending was confirmed in September 2020, leaving season 11 to wrap up any lingering plot threads and bring the Commonwealth storyline to an appropriately violent conclusion. “Rest In Peace” is, therefore, not only the final installment of The Walking Dead season 11, but the closing chapter of a story that has embedded itself into the western world’s cultural consciousness across a 12-year span.
While the main show may be over, however, the future of the Walking Dead franchise is thriving. As much as The Walking Dead‘s series finale represents the end of an era, “Rest In Peace” also triggers the beginning of a brand-new phase, as AMC siphons off some of its biggest characters into fresh projects. Although the overall amount of TV hours will be lower in 2023, the amount of TV shows releasing under The Walking Dead‘s umbrella will actually increase. This is how The Walking Dead‘s future looks after season 11.
The Walking Dead’s New Spinoffs Explained
The Walking Dead‘s immediate future involves a trio of spinoffs starring major characters from the main show. Initially titled Isle of the Dead, Lauren Cohan’s Maggie and Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan will star in The Walking Dead: Dead City, set in New York. Supporting cast members have been announced, but none are familiar faces from The Walking Dead‘s existing world, and the question of whether Maggie and Negan will be joined by Hershel and Annie remains unanswered.
Norman Reedus will take point in Daryl Dixon. Originally intended as a spinoff starring Daryl alongside Melissa McBride’s Carol, the project’s relocation to Europe prevented the latter taking part. Daryl Dixon will be set primarily in France, with Harry Potter and Tenet star Clémence Poésy included among the supporting cast. Finally, Rick Grimes and Michonne will return in a TV series of their own after Andrew Lincoln departed The Walking Dead in season 9, and Danai Gurira in season 10. Lincoln’s comeback was previously expected to come via a Walking Dead movie trilogy, but those plans collapsed like soggy zombie guts and morphed into yet another TV project.
When The Walking Dead’s Spinoffs Release
The Walking Dead: Dead City is first on the agenda, expected in April 2023 and consisting of six episodes. According to hints from the actor himself, Jeffrey Dean Morgan wrapped on the Walking Dead spinoff in October 2022, highlighting the progress Negan and Maggie’s new project is making. Daryl Dixon comes next, and although a release date is yet to be announced, filming on Norman Reedus’ six-episode solo show is underway ahead of a 2023 release. Production appears slower on Rick & Michonne’s TV show, and while posters have billed a 2023 release for this post-apocalyptic love story, late-2023 seems likely.
AMC’s new trio of Walking Dead spinoffs aside, Fear The Walking Dead season 8 will see Lennie James’ Morgan Jones team up with Kim Dickens’ Madison Clark, and is also scheduled for 2023. A Tales of the Walking Dead season 2 remains possible after the debut season wrapped in September 2022, and other projects have been hinted at, including the long-gestating comedy series. Despite The Walking Dead ending, the franchise’s future is assured for at least another year.
Is The Walking Dead’s Future Following An Overarching Story?
The Walking Dead‘s upcoming spinoffs will largely follow individual narratives, all of which remain secret at present. There are, however, small hints pointing toward an overarching story connecting all three. Rick and Michonne’s TV show concerns the CRM, who abducted/rescued Rick in The Walking Dead season 9. The CRM have a confirmed presence in New York, potentially linking the villains to The Walking Dead: Dead City, while Daryl Dixon‘s French setting is almost certainly connected to the bombshell zombie virus revelation from The Walking Dead: World Beyond season 2. As The Walking Dead becomes a shared universe, the CRM and virus origin may provide a connective thread between each release.
