If someone had told you back in 2010 that the world of The Walking Dead would be expanding in the 2020s, you probably wouldn't have believed them. As outrageously popular as the AMC horror series proved to be, it would be understandable if you weren't expecting the franchise to consist of seven shows by the time that 2026 rolled around. But that's the enduring power of the TWD Universe.
The original series closed its "Don't Open Dead Inside" doors back in 2022 but it launched three new spinoffs / sequels in the process, all of which focused on legendary characters from that very series. The Walking Dead: Dead City was the first, bringing Maggie and Negan to Manhattan. The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon came after that, sending Daryl and Carol to France. And The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live brought Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes and Danai Gurira's Michonne back to definitively wrap up the franchise's biggest loose end.
One of those spinoffs was a miniseries while the other two have since produced multiple more seasons. Although AMC's Chief Content Officer of The Walking Dead Universe, Scott M. Gimple, confirmed that the rollout of new shows in the franchise will slow down, he also reiterated that there will be plenty more to look forward to - as did AMC Studios President Dan McDermott.
With that in mind, le'ts dive into the status of all the ongoing TWD shows, looking at where each of them currently stands and what else awaits this legendary franchise.
Dead City - currently airing
Status: Awaiting season 4 renewal
The Walking Dead: Dead City is the last Walking Dead show from the "new TWD Universe era" still standing. Although it was initially the most critiqued spinoff of the bunch, it has now managed to outlast The Ones Who Live (which concluded in 2024) and Daryl Dixon (which will end with its upcoming fourth season). And with that, it remains the only true ongoing show in the franchise at the moment.
I used the term "initially" up above because a major reboot took place in the third season which completely turned things around. That was all down to new showrunner Seth Hoffman (who previously worked on the mothership series for seasons 4, 5, and 6) stepping in to shift the narrative, tweak the tone, and finally move the show forward.
Dead City centers on longtime enemies Maggie and Negan as they are forced together in a new adventure that brings them to the undead shores of New York City. The series was criticized for retreading the past and getting too bogged down in already-settled Walking Dead lore. Season 3 adopted a much more hopeful tone, having the two put their past behind them and find some common ground. And, with that, it produced one of the very best seasons in the entire TWD Universe as a result.
What comes next for Dead City remains to be seen. The show is currently awaiting renewal from AMC after airing its season 3 finale. Considering the overwhelmingly positive response to the season - and the fact that renewing it is the easiest way to prolong the TWD Universe's life while the powers-that-be figure out what's next for it - it's likely that the renewal should come down the line in the near-future. If you saw the season 3 finale, then you know there's definitely scope for season 4.
Daryl Dixon - currently airing (final season coming in 2027)
Status: Ending with season 4 in 2027
It's safe to say that The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon was easily the biggest surprise of the newer spinoffs. While we all loved Norman Reedus' gruff warrior in The Walking Dead, the character had effectively become the lead of that show for its last three seasons anyway - so it was hard to imagine what that spinoff would look like (and how it would be different). And then it aired and we never looked back.
Daryl Dixon takes Daryl - and, eventually, Carol too - to France, where he must protect a young boy by the name of Laurent so that he can lead the revival of humanity. As the story progresses, Daryl and Carol eventually find their way to London and Spain in the hopes of returning home to the US and reuniting with their friends. The unique environments that they encounter have certainly made it the most visually stunning - and interesting - of the newer spinoffs.
All good things must come to an end and that can indeed also be said for Daryl Dixon, which will end with its upcoming fourth and final season. Although AMC has not yet set a date for the grand finale of the series, it is set to conclude in 2027, bringing an end to Norman Reedus' and Melissa McBride's incredible near-two-decade stint in the franchise - for now, at least.
More Tales From The Walking Dead Universe
Status: Greenlit three years ago, no updates (likely cancelled)
Back before the launch of the TWD sequels, AMC had plans for a spinoff of a previous Walking Dead spinoff. More Tales From The Walking Dead Universe was commissioned with the hopes of it becoming a short-form variation of Tales of the Walking Dead - the anthology series that focused on multiple standalone tales in the overarching franchise that were never explored in any previous series. However, it has been three years since it was greenlit and there hasn't been a single update about it since. Needless to say, fans aren't feeling good about that.
There is a clue about what happened to the offshoot, and that lies in the fate of its parent series. Tales of the Walking Dead was one of the very first post-TWD spinoffs greenlit by AMC but it ended up running during the final season of The Walking Dead itself. Scott Gimple recently confirmed that there were no plans to bring it back for another run, highlighting how the franchise has evolved since then in order to tell stories that are specifically designed to serve as sequels to the original series.
If Tales season 2 didn't happen, it's highly unlikely that this one will. And yet, a more recent comment from Gimple has given fans a little hope - as the TWD boss revealed that there are things still in the works, including "both shorter things and ongoing things". Perhaps one of those shorter things is More Tales? We'll have to wait and see.
The Walking Dead revival / reunion / crossover finale
Status: In development, still uncertain if it will happen
Longtime fans of The Walking Dead have been waiting for one spinoff to wrap it all up, and that is a reunion series that would effectively serve as a revival series / twelfth and final season of the original show. Yes, that would mean bringing the three spinoffs back together, uniting Lauren Cohan's Maggie and Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Negan with Daryl and Carol, and Rick and Michonne - the latter two of whom are currently awaiting everyone else's return in Alexandria.
This has been both a long-time dream for the TWD fans while also being actively discussed by the-powers-that-be behind the franchise. Both Scott Gimple and veteran Walking Dead producer Greg Nicotero have confirmed that it's a real thing that has been discussed behind-the-scenes for years, with Gimple recently saying that he still hopes to make it. The thing preventing it from happening right now appear to be logistical issues of getting the cast back together at a time that would suit them, but the TWD boss isn't ruling it out.
Andrew Lincoln himself confirmed that he is currently in talks to return as Rick Grimes, but it's unclear as to whether that would be to pull the trigger on this crossover or for a cameo appearance in another show. We'll have to wait and see, but the fact that he is willing to return again - after Rick's story was wrapped up in his own spinoff - does suggest that he would be open to doing the reunion should the opportunity present itself.
If the TWD Universe does reach a stage where it decides to end, then this would be an appropriate way to pull it off. Constantly thought of as the Avengers: Endgame of the TWD Universe, it would allow The Walking Dead to have the finale that the original series just wasn't able to give it.
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