Now that The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3 has come and gone, all eyes have shifted to AMC's upcoming post-apocalyptic release, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 4.
It feels like a lifetime since Daryl found himself on the coast of France after being kidnapped and imprisoned on a cargo boat. For the last three years, we've watched the beloved survivor try to return home and fail on multiple occasions, yet it was easier for Carol to fly all the way to Europe and meet him at Mont-Saint-Michel. But despite the hurdles and unexpected obstacles, we're finally months away from discovering whether the two will be able to make it home.
AMC hosted a "Spotlight" panel at New York Comic-Con 2026, and The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 4 took center stage. For starters, it was announced that the upcoming batch of episodes will be released in February 2027. Additionally, a poster and an official trailer were also showcased. Attendees even got to see a clip from the upcoming season, which featured the appearance of fast walkers—terrifying creatures that seem to be the result of twisted experiments.
It doesn't come as a surprise that The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon was a major highlight of AMC's panel, especially since season 4 will be the last. Despite that, many fans hoped that there would be other announcements about the broader franchise, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
AMC didn't reveal its plans for The Walking Dead franchise at NYCC
For the time being, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 4 is the only confirmed project set to be released as part of AMC's franchise. But after Daryl finally returns home (or perishes in the attempt), no one knows what will happen next. Many fans were certain that a fourth season of Dead City would be announced at the event. That way, principal photography could've begun early next year to ensure a 2028 release. Unfortunately, this didn't happen.
To make matters more complicated, a reunion project wasn't revealed either, and there was no news about whether we'll see more of Carol or Daryl after 2027. Despite the uncertainty, AMC's Chief Content Officer of The Walking Dead universe, Scott M. Gimple, has stated that the saga is still in the "middle" of its life, so where does the story go from here?
AMC currently has a 16-year streak of uninterrupted The Walking Dead releases, which will expand to 17 years in 2027. There's still a chance the studio keeps the streak going into 2028. After all, the third season of Dead City began principal photography in September 2025, and the episodes aired a little over 10 months later in July 2026.
With that in mind, the next TWD project could be announced at NYCC 2027 and still make it on time for a 2028 release. That gives the studio more time to truly make a roadmap for where the franchise will go next.
The most likely possibility is that The Walking Dead: Dead City will be renewed for a fourth (and potentially final) season. Lauren Cohan, who portrays Maggie, revealed that the team has "outside-the-box" ideas for the upcoming batch of episodes. Furthermore, there were also talks about filming an alternate ending for Dead City season 3 to ensure Jimmi Simpson could return as a series regular in the future.
If The Walking Dead: Dead City season 4 does come our way in 2028, the next big test for the franchise will be 2029. Either AMC breaks its multiple-year streak of constant releases, or the studio gives us a brand-new project that could completely reinvent the franchise. Even then, we should soon get a tease of what will happen next.
If Daryl and Carol's story comes to a definite end in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 4, then the likelihood of a reunion project is greatly reduced. But if both make it safely back to America, then it's all but a given that many of these survivors will come together for one more adventure. Who knows? Maybe the final shot of the show could be Daryl finally reuniting with Rick Grimes (because it never hurts to dream).
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 4 will be released in February 2027.
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