Daryl Dixon: Norman Reedus Teases “Familiar Faces” on TWD Spinoff

Fan-favorite characters are keeping The Walking Dead Universe alive into 2023. First, rivals Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) will return in The Walking Dead: Dead City, a spin-off set in post-apocalyptic New York City. Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) will reunite in their own series, revealing what happened to Rick and Michonne after their stories were left open-ended on The Walking Dead. And while Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) will be going solo in his spin-off without best friend Carol (Melissa McBride), Reedus teases more “familiar faces” could pop up on the series taking him overseas to Paris, France.

“It’s going to be fun, and there’ll be a lot of familiar faces,” Reedus said on stage during The Walking Dead‘s New York Comic Con panel. “Don’t yell at me. It’s going to be cool.”

Reedus was set to co-lead the Daryl & Carol spinoff with McBride, continuing the journey of the only two characters who have appeared on all eleven seasons of The Walking Dead.

But in April, AMC announced McBride was “no longer able to participate” in the spin-off set and filmed in France. Relocating to Europe “became logistically untenable for Melissa at this time,” according to the network, which said in a statement: “We know fans will be disappointed by this news, but The Walking Dead Universe continues to grow and expand in interesting ways and we very much hope to see Carol again in the near future.”

McBride has assured fans that Carol’s story will not end when The Walking Dead concludes with its series finale on November 20th. In an interview with EW, Reedus confirmed the same: this is not the end of Daryl and Carol’s story.

“Their journey’s not over. They will meet down the road,” Reedus said. “You can pretty much bet all your money. I read all these people whining about it, and I have to just keep my mouth shut, but there will be a lot of foots in a lot of mouths at some point.”

While details remain under wraps, Reedus promises his France-set Walking Dead show will be “epic in scale.” 

“It’s f—ing epic,” he said at NYCC. “It’s crazy what we’re going to do over there. I think France is gonna have a f—ing heart attack. Which is good, it’s what I want.” (How crazy? Reedus revealed the show will destroy a post-apocalyptic version of the Louvre.) 

The Daryl spin-off “has a different look, and has a different feel, and has different sound to it,” according to Reedus. “It has all the things that you like about [The Walking Dead], but new people experiencing them in a different kind of way. It’s something I think we’re all going to love, and something I think I’m going to be really proud of.”

What is The Walking Dead Spin-off Called?

Reedus recently revealed his Walking Dead spin-off would simply be titled Daryl Dixon. “I’m pushing for a title, but I don’t think it has an official title yet,” Reedus said during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. “There’s a title that I want. To find a title is insane, because there’s thousands and thousands of the most ridiculous choices you have to choose from.” 

A trailer previewing AMC’s Walking Dead Universe referred to the show as “Daryl Dixon.” By the time it premieres in 2023, the show could be titled “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon.” 

What Is the Daryl Dixon Spin-off About?

Dan McDermott, President of Entertainment and AMC Studios, revealed the spin-off focuses on Daryl “as he wakes up and finds himself somewhere on the European continent and tries to piece together what happened. How did he get here? How’s he going to get home?” 

“Somehow I get put there, and I don’t go there on my own free will,” Reedus said on Jimmy Kimmel Live! “I’ve been out there [in France] location scouting and casting and everything for the last couple of months. It’s epic. Castles, and moats of castles, it’s just crazy.”

Daryl Dixon is set to premiere in 2023 on AMC and AMC+.

Follow @CameronBonomolo and @NewsOfTheDead on Twitter for TWD Universe coverage all season long. New episodes of The Walking Dead‘s final season premiere Sundays on AMC and AMC+.