Image Credit: AMC
The Walking Dead may have put an end to its flagship run in 2022, but AMC has been busy expanding its universe with a host of spin-offs centered on its legacy characters. Yet this proliferation of stories has left one highly anticipated element of the franchise in limbo: the moment Rick Grimes and Daryl Dixon are brought back together.
Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus have not shared a scene in years, though word from the top of the network indicates a proper onscreen meeting could be on the horizon. Dan McDermott, AMC Networks’ Chief Content Officer, confirmed the network is in talks with Reedus to determine where Daryl’s story goes after his standalone series comes to a close.
“Norman and Daryl Dixon are a fan favorite; we love him and the audience will follow him anywhere,” McDermott said. “So we are having active discussions about what the next evolution of his part in The Walking Dead universe entails.”
Reedus’s Daryl, with Melissa McBride by his side, has made a long trek across Europe for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, spanning France, Spain, and England. That fourth and final season is set to air between late 2026 and early 2027. It marked a departure from the original show, where Daryl was written off in pursuit of a missing Rick. Some fans were not happy with the existential turn the new series took, feeling it did a disservice to the brotherhood the two built over a decade.
Now, as Daryl Dixon winds down, there is talk of a return to the franchise’s core mythology. Scott M. Gimple, Chief Content Officer of The Walking Dead Universe, has been hinting at an Avengers-style affair to pull all the threads of the franchise into one room for Rick, Michonne, and the rest. To make that happen, AMC would need to secure deals with Lincoln and Danai Gurira, who recently reprised their roles in The Ones Who Live. Reedus, meanwhile, has made no secret of his willingness to remain in the fold.
Rick’s survival is the one thing Daryl still needs to come to terms with. A reunion would provide a fitting climax to the saga in whatever form it takes. While nothing has been officially greenlit, the fact that conversations with Reedus are ongoing confirms the fan-favorite survivor has no plans to put down his crossbow anytime soon.
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