The Walking Dead is one of the biggest TV franchises of all time and it is still incredibly relevant in 2026; that right there is a testament to its enduring appeal, and an amazing ability to stand the test of time. Although the original series concluded in 2022, the saga has continued on via three separate spinoffs that highlighted legendary characters from The Walking Dead itself.
Yes, the TWD Universe is still going strong and, even though the second of those three new shows have wrapped up, there are indeed still plans to continue the story beyond these shows. And we have gotten some updates about its future in recent weeks - both in relation to the final season of Daryl Dixon, the future of Dead City, and the plans for the Walking Dead world beyond that.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 4 premieres in February 2027
The last confirmed season of The Walking Dead franchise that is still certain, Daryl Dixon's fourth and final season finally has a release window. The announcement came at New York Comic-Con when stars Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride, along with executive producer David Zabel and Walking Dead boss Scott M. Gimple, revealed that the show would return to screens in February 2027.
The TWD Universe spinoff has been an annual fixture of September since it launched, but it infamously missed the window this year when AMC revealed that the already-filmed season 4 would be delayed to 2027 instead. Now, we know that the wait won't be too much longer as Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier's final journey through Spain will be coming in just a few months.
Although the exact release date wasn't announced, there are only four Sundays in February, meaning that we will see it air on AMC (and stream on AMC+) on either the 7, 14, 21, or 28 February. It's only a matter of time until one of those dates is pinned down.
Dead City has not yet been renewed for season 4 (but the creatives are hopeful)
The third season of The Walking Dead: Dead City was easily the best installment of the TWD Universe spinoff yet. Fans responded instantly to the change of pace, praising its more light-hearted - and yet action-packed - approach, with the decision to move away from Maggie Rhee and Negan's disturbing backstory widely praised. Dead City was no longer stuck in the past, and that allowed it to move forward.
Despite that, it has yet to be renewed for a fourth season. Scott Gimple confirmed as much in a recent interview with The Direct, saying that he is hopeful that AMC will give season 4 the green light as the show is performing well for the AMC+ streamer. However, he also added that it's a different time for TV, which understandably has fans a little concerned:
"I would hope for everyone to hold out hope, because it's performing well in the numbers, and people are digging it. So, I think it's got a good shot at it, but it is a different time."
As Dead City is the last remaining TWD Universe series on the air with a potential future beyond its most recent season, the franchise's immediate future essentially relies on it getting at least one more renewal.
There are plans for more TWD in AMC's near-future
Daryl Dixon may be ending, The Ones Who Live might have concluded two years ago, and Dead City's fate may be unclear right now, but it's far from over for The Walking Dead. That is something that both AMC Studios' president Dan McDermott and Cief Content Officer of the franchise Scott Gimple have confirmed multiple times in recent weeks, highlighting how much of a commodity that the TWD Universe still is for AMC after all these years.
As for what those plans for "more" could look like, Gimple has been very upfront about potential ideas, revealing to The Direct that there are plans for "both shorter things and ongoing things", all while adding that the rollout will likely be slower going forward. With streaming shows oversaturating massive franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars, AMC is ensuring that the same won't happen to the TWD Universe - which likely means that there won't be three on the air at the same time again in the near-future.
One project that fans are still longong for - and Gimple hopes to make - is the Walking Dead reunion series that would effectively serve as a season 12 to the original show, reuniting Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes and Danai Gurira's Michonne with Daryl, Carol, Maggie, and Negan. That would certainly make for an incredible moment, and you can bet that fans will be holding out hope for that one to happen until it's officially announced.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 4 arrives on AMC and AMC+ in February 2027.
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