The years continue to roll by and The Walking Dead franchise goes along with them. Yes, the saga that first began on TV screens back in 2010 is still very much a part of the television landscape nearly two decades later. And even though the original series is no longer on the air (that one wrapped up in 2022 after 11 seasons), some of the longest-standing characters from it continue to star in their own post-apocalyptic stories.
But as Daryl Dixon prepares to air its fourth and final season, and fellow spinoff Dead City gears up for its third season, questions about the future of the TWD Universe continue to swirl. How much longer can the spinoffs continue to air? What is the endgame of the shared universe? And will we ever see Rick Grimes on our screens again?
At the center of all these questions is a long-lasting rumor that AMC has a spinoff series in mind intended to bring an end to these particular TWD characters' arcs. Now, one of the franchise's biggest creatives has addressed it.
Greg Nicotero confirms talks of a Walking Dead Endgame crossover
Ever since The Walking Dead closed its doors and launched three separate spinoffs, speculation has run rampant about AMC's long-term plans to bring it all together for one final story - a Walking Dead season 12-style crossover, if you will. But is it feasible, and perhaps more importantly, is it real?
Appearing on an episode of The Brandon Davis Show, Walking Dead legend Greg Nicotero opened up about the potential crossover. Host Brandon Davis asked him about the decision to end the franchise's overarching villain, the Civic Republic Military, in Rick and Michonne spinoff The Ones Who Live while continuing on with the franchise, pointing out how fans expected them to fall in a crossover instead. He responded by saying that "there has been a lot of talks about that reunion type show," adding:
"We've been talking about it for a couple of years."
Needless to say, that will come as music to fans' ears because they have been longing to see Rick and Michonne reunite with Daryl Dixon, Carol Peletier, Maggie Rhee, Negan and all of the other characters in the TWD Universe. Just because they made it back home to Alexandria in the end of The Ones Who Live, that shouldn't rule out a reunion with their friends. It is, after all, what the fans have been waiting to see. And the fact that Nicotero didn't rule it out just because it didn't take place before that particular spinoff suggests that it is still very much on the table.
After years of rumors, reliable industry insider Daniel Richtman reported recently that AMC did indeed have plans to bring the characters from the three newer TWD spinoffs back together for a reunion crossover. This also came after Rick Grimes star himself, Andrew Lincoln, confirmed that there were talks to bring the legendary character back - despite his happy ending in The Ones Who Live.
With Daryl Dixon ending and the future of the TWD Universe beyond that unclear right now, it does seem like now is the time to make that crossover happen. There are hopes that the final season of Daryl Dixon might shed some light on whether it's still possible as fans are speculating that Daryl and Carol's return from Europe may well result in a reunion with Rick and Michonne (as they will likely discover that they are back when they return home). But would that be the extent of Andrew Lincoln's rumored return or could it pave the way for the TWD reunion we've all been waiting for.
Dead City's placement in the TWD timeline has created an unlikely chink in the armor, as it is actually set six years after the events of the previous spinoffs. Maggie and Negan have never once refereed to Rick's return and that makes their potential involvement quite difficult. After all, Rick had complex, rich relationships with both characters - making their reactions to his return imperative - but this issue would likely make any potential crossover a prequel to Dead City.
If that's the case, however, fans would be more than willing to take it in order to see all of their favorite TWD characters back together again. And to hear that there are indeed discussions about making it happen just makes it all the more exciting!