It's been over three years since The Walking Dead ended its run on AMC, and fans still aren't quite over the zombie series. Luckily, the franchise has gone on to expand with multiple spinoffs. However, the majority have already wrapped up as well. There are currently only two still ongoing. They're Daryl Dixon and Dead City.
With Daryl Dixon set to end its run with its fourth and final installment sometime this year, fans are eagerly anticipating seeing how Daryl and Carol's story will come to a close. The unlikely duo has been stuck in Europe for quite some time now, and they're more than ready to cross the pond back to America.
Do you know who should be waiting for them when they get back on U.S. soil? Multiple survivors such as Eugene, Ezekiel, Morgan, Father Gabriel, Aaron, etc. But there's one really special character who, if he makes an appearance in Daryl Dixon season 4, will have the entire internet in a frenzy. I'm sure you probably already know who I'm talking about. It's none other than former sheriff's deputy Rick Grimes, played by Andrew Lincoln.
Out of any other Walking Dead characters just listed, Rick is the only one to actually have a chance to make a potential return in Daryl Dixon season 4. Back in September 2025, Lincoln appeared on a British talk show to promote his then-new series. During the interview, he was asked about if he'd ever return to the zombie franchise.
He didn't brush off the question like most celebrities do when asked something of hot interest. No, what he did was actually come clean and say that a "conversation" was happening at the moment about him coming back as Rick. He didn't go into detail about what project those talks were connected to or how serious they were, but that one comment alone immediately got fans pumped up. It also got them speculating.
Naturally, many fans begin speculating that Rick's return could be connected to Daryl Dixon season 4. With the fourth season being its last, it just makes sense for the spinoff to bring some of the biggest surviving Walking Dead characters back together before the end. Rick and Daryl’s reunion is something fans have wanted for years, especially since the two characters never reunited after Rick’s departure in season 9 of The Walking Dead.
Daryl Dixon season 4 would be the perfect opportunity to grant this longtime wish. If you recall from The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live series finale, Rick and Michonne finally make their way back to Alexandria and are reunited with their kids, Judith and R.J. So, that's where Rick should be when Daryl Dixon season 4 is airing. While we don't know how the fourth season will end, it just wouldn't make sense for Daryl and Carol to stay in Europe. Now, that would be a way to anger fans!
That said, we'll likely see the duo finally return to America. Their first stop would probably be Alexandria, where they'd run into Rick. This is how the big reunion could happen. Or, perhaps the reunion could happen before Daryl and Carol even get back to the U.S. Maybe we'll see Rick learn of their whereabouts and then travel to Europe himself to retrieve them.
I would personally prefer that route, since it would give Rick a more active role rather than just waiting in Alexandria. He'd get to see what Daryl and Carol have been up to while they were away, and vice versa. Perhaps he'd even be involved in the season's drama. We all know that the fourth installment won't be smooth sailing for Daryl and Carol even without having official plot details yet.
It would be exciting to see Rick back in action alongside Daryl and Carol as they fight walkers and various human threats. It'd be just like old times and something Walking Dead fans will truly appreciate. Honestly, I can already see social media going wild the moment everyone sees Rick appear on screen. Timelines would be absolutely flooded within seconds, with clips, reactions, and shocked posts spreading across X, TikTok, and Instagram almost instantly. And we can't forget hashtags, which would start trending worldwide.
It would be a Walking Dead moment for the books! It'd likely be similar to when The Walking Dead season 7 premiere aired. The only difference is that fans won't be sharing angry posts all through social media like then. Instead, the reaction would likely be overwhelmingly positive. Fans would be celebrating the long-awaited payoff of seeing Rick back in the world of The Walking Dead and finally reunited with Daryl and Carol after so many years apart.
My own personal hope is that his potential return in Daryl Dixon season 4 would then lead to another Walking Dead spinoff. There have already been rumors of a Walking Dead crossover spinoff, as well as a rumor of a revival series. Maybe this could be what's next for the franchise. We just need AMC to stop being so secretive and actually give fans what they want.
But for now, we'll just have to wait and see if Rick does make a cameo appearance in Daryl Dixon season 4. Fingers crossed!
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