AMC's legendary Walking Dead franchise may have weathered the storms of aging, but it has ultimately stood the test of time. Questions began to surround the long-term state of the franchise when the original series - The Walking Dead - was about seven seasons in, but it managed to run for another four whilst also spawning a whole franchise.
The TWD Universe is a staple of television, with fans tuning in to see new adventures for legendary franchise characters. Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier have been exploring Europe over on The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, Maggie Rhee and Negan became the official guardians of Manhattan in The Walking Dead: Dead City, and Rick and Michonne finally returned home to Alexandria in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.
That being said, we'll have to admit that the TWD landscape has dried up slowly, with less new spinoffs on the horizon, and the current ones slowly starting to wind down. The good news is that there is more on the horizon (even if we don't what most of those are yet) and it all starts in 2027 with the final chapter of a franchise favorite.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 4 returns to AMC in 2027
Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier's adventures aren't over just yet. The fourth and final season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon will premiere on AMC and AMC+ in 2027, bringing a close to a story that has very quickly become an adored chapter in the legendary TWD Universe. To say that fans are ready for it would be an understatement.
Although AMC has yet to confirm which month (or even season), Daryl Dixon returns in, it isn't expected to be too late into the year. The Walking Dead series was initially expected to wrap up in 2026 but the cable network unexpectedly delayed it. And we do mean "unexpectedly delayed it", because AMC had previously confirmed that the TWD offshoot would arrive in 2026 before star Norman Reedus made the announcement that it would be delayed just ahead of San Diego Comic-Con.
Another reason why it isn't expected to return too far into the year is the fact that the fourth season finished filming back in 2025, so it's ready to go (again, hence the initial 2026 release date plans); the reason for the delay is likely down to ensuring that there will be new Walking Dead content in 2027 (as there are currently no other confirmed TWD shows for that year). Furthermore, the New York Comic-Con panel for the show is going ahead this month, so it's unlikely that AMC would have started promotion this early out if it didn't plan on releasing the new season in the near-future.
Remember, Daryl Dixon has been a fall fixture since it premiered on AMC and AMC+ back in 2023, always airing new episodes in September. In this day and age, it's rare for a big-budget streaming and / or cable TV series to release new episodes on an annual basis, but Daryl Dixon pulled it off. That's why the decision to delay the pre-filmed fourth season caught fans off-guard. And yet, that's exactly why it will likely premiere in the first half of 2027.
The TWD Universe did offer up the third season of Dead City this summer and it ended up running on into Daryl Dixon's typical September timeslot. So, at the very least, TWD fans had new TWD content to enjoy at the same time of year. The show's third season received critical acclaim for essentially resetting itself and breathing fresh air into a concept that had grown more undead than the walkers. Needless to say, fans appreciated those episodes as they waited for Daryl Dixon.
Speaking of Daryl Dixon, the fourth and final season will see Daryl and Carol attempt to find their way home to Alexandria, bringing an end to their European adventure. Over the course of the series, Daryl found himself in France before Carol (Melissa McBride) joined him there in season 2 as the pair ventured to the UK and, finally, Spain. Now, it's time for them to come home and reunite with their family and friends. Rumors even suggest that Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes might be waiting for them when they get there.
Either way, we're ready for the next installment in the TWD Universe, as the iconic franchise continues its 17-year streak of regular, annual Walking Dead programming.
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