The first official Stranger Things spinoff, Stranger Things: Tales from '85, hits Netflix on April 23. While I haven't seen the new series yet, I know it's exactly what The Walking Dead franchise needs to do next: embrace the animated series.
Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85 is the perfect setup for a Walking Dead animated series. It’s set between the second and third seasons of Stranger Things, before the events that happened at the Starcourt Mall. It brings back all the great characters, like Eleven, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Will, and Max, in a new mystery that was never referenced in the original series.
Robert Kirkman, the creator of The Walking Dead, has expressed interest many times in making an animated series in the past. Unfortunately, Kirkman, who also created Prime Video's Invincible, revealed in 2024 that a Walking Dead animated series likely wouldn't happen until he got the rights back from AMC, according to Comicbook.com.
Why and how The Walking Dead animated series needs to happen
While that has not happened yet, Stranger Things and Netflix should kick the door wide open for The Walking Dead to revisit the idea of an animated spinoff. To me, The Walking Dead just works as an animated series for so many reasons. Most importantly, the fans are still in love with the original characters of the series. Fans still want to see Rick, Shane, Michonne, Glenn, Maggie, Daryl, Carol, and so many other beloved characters.
On top of that, many, many fans came to love The Walking Dead as a graphic novel series. Bringing the comics to life in a format that is similar to the original works just seems like a good idea. Plus, there are so many things that happened in the graphic novels that played out way differently in the show. That untapped story and potential is reason enough for The Walking Dead to go back to the beginning, when Rick Grimes wakes up in the hospital in Atlanta after the world as he knew it came to an end.
That makes the most sense to me, even though it's different than what Netflix and Stranger Things are about to do in Stranger Things: Tales from '85. But there are other ways to make Walking Dead animated shows work, as well.
As mentioned, Tales from '85 takes place during a time jump from the original series. What does The Walking Dead have in common with Stranger Things? Well, one of those things is a lot of time jumps. That leaves ample room to tell different stories within those time jumps. There are so many time jumps in The Walking Dead, so there are so many opportunities for an animated series to fill in the gaps.Â
There's truly no downside to a spinoff like Tales from '85 or a remake of the original Walking Dead series. Sure, some fans might not be into it. Some might not appreciate some of the differences, but there's clearly an active fan base that wants this story to be told again. But, there's more to it than that, too.
The Walking Dead spinoffs need a change of pace. I love the new locations, settings, and characters of the current spinoffs, but they can’t go on forever. Daryl Dixon is ending after the next season. Dead City will likely come to an end soon-ish, as well. The Walking Dead needs a way for the spirit of the original series to continue without going backwards. An animated series is the perfect format to offer fans something new while staying true to the show’s roots.Â
Animated shows, generally, are cheaper than live-action shows, too. They are less risky. I have no idea why AMC wouldn't be interested in working with Kirkman and others within The Walking Dead universe to bring those ideas to life.
Is it too soon to revisit The Walking Dead and its spinoffs?
Netflix waited four months between Stranger Things ending and bringing Tales from '85 to life. It's been almost four years since The Walking Dead came to an end. I think it's safe!
Obviously, it doesn't sound like any animated Walking Dead spinoffs will be happening anytime soon, but I'm hoping that Stranger Things: Tales from '85 might change some minds. Tune in for Tales from '85 on April 23 on Netflix!