Latest ‘The Walking Dead’ Season 9 Trailer Debuts New Footage

AMC released a new trailer Thursday promising the start of a whole new world in The Walking Dead Season Nine.

The trailer, featuring new footage, sees Alexandria leaders Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) shepherding in their vision for a rebuilt civilization and a hopeful utopia inspired by late son Carl (Chandler Riggs). Michonne strives to build “something that’s bigger than any one of us,” namely a future that can blossom independently of ousted dictator Negan’s (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) since-ended reign of terror.

Rick butts heads with former right-hand-man Daryl (Norman Reedus), who has since distanced himself after Rick changed things — namely pushing for the united communities to embrace former enemies the Saviors, who have since become uneasy allies following an 18-month time jump. The schism between the pair has deepened, leaving Daryl siding more and more with the philosophies exhibited by Hilltop leader Maggie (Lauren Cohan), who has her own hang-ups in embracing the Saviors.

“There’s definitely a fracture in that bone, but it’s been a slow fracture for a while now. And it’s sort of built up to a tension,” Reedus told EW of the new strained relationship between Rick and Daryl. “The interesting part about that is, that fracture and that bone that’s been slightly breaking for a long time, when it snaps, it actually opens up the doors to heal itself.”

Rick now characterizes their relationship as “complicated.” Rick refuses to budge as he strives to mold an inclusive and hopeful future for all, while Daryl expresses his well-maintained beliefs that the Saviors don’t deserve a spot in that future because of their abhorrent war crimes.

“They fight and they disagree on things, but it’s like two brothers fighting. They always will have each other’s back, but they don’t necessarily agree on everything,” the Daryl Dixon star told Variety.

“I think a big part of the first half of the season with Daryl and Rick is, Rick’s been sort of blinded by this desire to build something in honor of his son. And I think that is sort of taking him on a destructive path that’s not only bad for him but bad for the group, in Daryl’s eyes, and a few of the other characters’ eyes. So a lot of that is him hearing me out and me making sure that Daryl’s point is heard. It’s not just something that’s going through his mind, it’s going through a couple of the characters’ minds.”

The all-new, all-different Season Nine debuts Sunday, October 7 on AMC.