It might sound wild to be able to say that we have new Walking Dead shows to look forward to in 2026 but that is a testament to how the AMC franchise has managed to stand the test of time. Over 15 years after the first episode of the original series premiered, we still have new episodes to look forward to. And some of those new episodes will come from beloved spinoff The Walking Dead: Dead City.
Starring Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the TWD Universe's infamous duo of Maggie Rhee and Negan, the show takes the long-time enemies to Manhattan as they search for Maggie's son Hershel. And over the course of its two seasons, the pair have gotten up-close and personal with post-apocalyptic New York City.
The show is set to return for a third season, receiving a renewal in the summer, so here's everything we know about that comeback thus far (and when we should expect it). Be warned, there will be potentially MAJOR SPOILERS for the upcoming season ahead.
Dead City season 3 release window
The good news is that The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3 is expected to premiere sometime in 2026. Although it wasn't initially clear (the second season had a near-two-year wait before its arrival), Valhalla Entertainment seemingly confirmed that both it and fellow TWD spinoff Daryl Dixon would return at some point this year. It's simply a matter of when.
We can rule spring out for a start. Although production on season 3 has been completed, there were more scenes being filmed earlier this year (scenes which are undoubtedly going to be a game-changer for audiences watching at home) and, save for miniseries The Ones Who Live, these shows tend to frequent the summer and fall seasons instead.
What's interesting is that Daryl Dixon actually completed its principal production on its fourth and final season before Dead City but that show has been a constant of the fall release window, premiering all three of its seasons thus far in September. Could it premiere earlier this year and push Dead City out of its typical summer slot to a fall release instead?
It's possible but, with Daryl Dixon having developed a rare, stable release schedule each and every year since its premiere, it's unlikely that AMC would want to tamper with that. With that in mind, don't be surprised if Dead City season 3 premieres in the summer after all.
Dead City season 3's cast is full of familiar faces
While it will come as no surprise to you that Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan will return to Dead City as Maggie and Negan, the show has updated its cast quite a bit since the season 2 finale. Of course, Gaius Charles will also return as Perlie Armstrong, alongside Željko Ivanek's The Croat, Lisa Emery's The Dama, and Logan Kim's Hershel Rhee, but some characters won't be back and some new arrivals look to shake things up.
Lucifer star Aimee Garcia joins the ranks as new character Renata while Mahina Napoleon has exited as a series regular after Ginny's fate in the season 2 finale.
Here is the full cast of characters for Dead City season 3:
- Lauren Cohan as Maggie Rhee
- Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan
- Gaius Charles as Perlie Armstrong
- Željko Ivanek as The Croat
- Lisa Emery as The Dama
- Logan Kim as Hershel Rhee
- Keir Gilchrist as Benjamin Piere
- Aimee Garcia as Renata
- Jimmi Simpson as Dillard
- Raúl Castillo as Luis
It should also be noted that one major change involves a brand new showrunner. Eli Jorné, who served as showrunner for the show's first two seasons has exited Dead City, with TWD veteran Seth Hoffman joining from third upcoming third season onwards.
If you know your TWD lore, you'll probably know that Hoffman is a well-established and beloved name in the fandom. Having written some of the original show's strongest episodes - including the stunning "Too Far Gone" - fans are excited to see what he brings to the beloved spinoff.
Be warned, there are potentially MAJOR SPOILERS below.
A major Walking Dead character will return in this season
While Dead City season 3 wrapped production at the end of 2025, it did briefly resume filming earlier this year to film some major scenes on location in Central Park. But this wasn't post-apocalyptic Central Park; it was the real thing, potentially set during the festive period. On set were Lauren Cohan, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Emily Kinney, as set photos of the apparent reunion sent the internet into a meltdown.
Kinney, of course, played Beth Green on The Walking Dead from seasons 2 through 5. Maggie's sister, Beth was involved in a number of major storylines - including her introduction through Hershel's farm, the prison years and the infamous Grady Memorial Hospital storyline in season 5. The character was shockingly killed off in the latter season, with villain Dawn Lerner instinctively shooting her in an instant.
Beth's death has continued to weigh on Maggie over the years, with her never accepting the fact that she never got the chance to reunite with her sister after their separation when the prison went under. To say that this potential "reunion" in Dead City season 3 has the potential to be an extremely powerful moment would be a major understatement.
It's not yet clear how it comes to be; whether it's a festive flashback or a fantasy sequence remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure: Fans are ready to see Cohan and Kinney share the screen as the Greene sisters one more time.
What is TWD: Dead City season 3 about?
The second season of The Walking Dead: Dead City was a particularly traumatic one for Maggie as her son Hershel seemingly sided with the villains of the story, aligning himself with The Dama due to the unlikely bond thata he formed with her. This made the legendary Walking Dead character's attempts to protect and rescue him all the more formidable. And if that meant having to rely on longtime enemy Negan one more time to get the job done, that's what she was willing to do.
Although not everything went her way in the season 2 finale, Maggie and Negan have now formed an alliance with former New Babylon Marshall Perlie Armstrong, as the trio have promised to build a new community in New York City, bringing The City That Never Sleeps back to life while also taking it into the future.
With The Croat and The Dama's grip on Manhattan loosening, now is their chance to make a stand and ultimately save it from the post-apocalyptic fate that it has been dealt. And it also allows Maggie to make things right with Hershel in the process, perhaps giving their relationship the chance to return to what it once was.
It's unclear at this point in time if Dead City season 3 will be the show's final season but, given that fellow TWD spinoff Daryl Dixon will conclude with four seasons, there's a pretty strong chance that this one could end up going for four seasons too.