The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus: Daryl and Rick Reunion in the Movies “Should Without a Doubt Happen”

The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus says a reunion between Daryl and the long-missing Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) should “without a doubt” happen in the coming trilogy of Walking Dead movies.

“I definitely think, if that’s on the cards, that should without a doubt happen,” Reedus told IGN at San Diego Comic-Con. “It’s such a family group, and it would be hard not to have that family be part of the story dynamic, you know what I mean?”

For co-star Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who plays Rick’s old archenemy Negan, “You hope that the film, whatever that film is, will tie into what we’ve already built with the TV [show] and at least a character or two that is on the show, because this world is so big and vast.”

“But it’s still a family,” Morgan added, “and let’s keep it that way.”

Young Judith Grimes star Cailey Fleming — who only joined the show after a six-year time skip that trailed Rick’s disappearance from Virginia — it would be “cool” to meet her onscreen dad.

“Because Michonne was there when he blew up the bridge, and all she knows is that she thinks he’s dead. And so that’s all that Judith has heard,” Fleming said. “And I think it would be cool for Judith to see Rick because it’d be a surprise to her.”

If or when Rick reunites with his daughter, “I think he would be [proud of her],” Fleming added.

After The Walking Dead 914 showed Daryl and Michonne (Danai Gurira) fruitlessly searching to reclaim Rick’s body, Reedus said on Talking Dead Daryl “needs closure” over his best friend’s supposed death.

“I think he’s been looking for this body. ‘If he died, where’s his body?’ And he’s a master tracker, he can get you from here to there no problem, he’s very intuitive and he’s very observant, and he just can’t find it. It makes no sense to him,” Reedus said.

“Michonne’s doing it a little bit, and she kind of even says something to the effect of, ‘We have to go forward.’ I don’t know, I think it’s hard for him to swallow. I think he needs closure. There’s a piece of this puzzle missing.”

Daryl and Michonne have yet to learn a gravely wounded Rick was quietly saved by Anne (Pollyanna McIntosh), who arranged his rescue aboard a helicopter that may have flown to Philadelphia.

TWD chief content officer Scott Gimple previously clarified Lincoln would not be returning to the television show and has instead been permanently spun off into the movies, which we learned at Comic-Con will be theatrically released under Universal Pictures.

Though Reedus has aired his intentions to stay on the mothership television series until its end, both Reedus and longtime co-star Melissa McBride recently re-upped with contracts that reportedly allow for appearances outside the show — meaning the three-year extension could bring Daryl into the movies, as hinted when Daryl vowed to never call off his search for the man he called brother.

The Walking Dead Season 10 premieres Sunday, October 6 on AMC.