The longer that The Walking Dead franchise carries on at AMC, the more that audiences wonder how much it has left in the tank. It's understandable given that it has been 15 years since the beloved original series premiered on the cable network - even more so when you factor in that the show itself ended nearly three years ago - but the TWD Universe has found new, exciting, and innovative ways to live on.
The Walking Dead: Dead City was the first of three new spinoffs focused on the aftermath of the original series, bringing back Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Negan to tell that story in New York City. Daryl Dixon saw Norman Reedus' titular hero set off to France in search of survivors in other parts of the world, where he was eventually joined by partner-in-crime Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride). And The Ones Who Live brought Andrew Lincoln's Rick Grimes and Danai Gurira's Michonne back to screens for the first time in years to wrap up their story.
While the latter of those three shows has wrapped up and the prior two are still ongoing, there is the question of where the TWD Universe goes next. Remember, this is a franchise that has already launched spinoffs before these new shorter stories took center stage. Is there really scope for more? Well, yes, it seems.
The Walking Dead boss says that TWD franchise could run for another 15 years
Chief Content Officer of The Walking Dead Universe at AMC Scott M. Gimple recently spoke to SFX Magazine about the future of the beloved franchise. This was in line with the arrival of The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2, which hadn't had its fate beyond that season decided at the time (it has since been renewed for a third season), so he spoke about whether there were more stories to tell and how long the overarching one could last for. Perhaps most surprisingly, he noted that he could see it going on for another 15 years, potentially reaching 2040 or beyond.
"I do see that potential," he opened, going on to say that "The Walking Dead is about compelling characters in an unforgiving world, but one that is not without hope".
It's true. With a franchise like the TWD Universe, it's not just about one specific character. Granted, the original series was told through the eyes of Rick Grimes, but it challenged that status quo when it carried on after the character's departure in season 9, running for two and a half more seasons without him. Once the franchise expanded beyond the walls of the original show in original spinoffs Fear The Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, and Tales of the Walking Dead, it was clear that there was scope for stories involving new and different characters.
Perhaps what's most exciting about Gimple's comments is that this wouldn't just entail introducing new characters, as the TWD boss opened up about potentially bringing back more characters from some of the previous TWD shows.
"There are characters from every Walking Dead series that I would love to tell stories with again, some picking up from the last time we saw them, maybe seeing some after a lot of time has passed... Robert Kirkman created indelible, addictive characters and we've always just tried to keep pace with him... the choices these characters make define them and change them, one way or another... That's the stuff of a great story. That can go on and on, as long as we have some terrific characters."
With that in mind, we could revisit characters we met in Fear, World Beyond, Tales, or even some of the supporting characters in Dead City, Daryl Dixon, or The Ones Who Live. After all, we need to see how Daryl's Laurent and Ash make it back to America; do they make it to the Commonwealth? That could be a storyline for a future season of their show, but it could also be the premise of another. Could fellow TWD veterans like Aaron and Gabriel be there to pick them up? You know fans have been longing to see those two get their own show.
Meanwhile, fans have been longing for a crossover between Rick and Fear's Madison Clark (Kim Dickens). The fact that the two faces of the original Walking Dead shows have not yet crossed over is such a missed opportunity and now is the chance to make it happen.
We'll have to wait and see what comes of it, but the fact that The Walking Dead saga could continue for another 15 years at least just highlights what an exciting time it is to be a fan of this classic franchise. Right now, we have the third seasons of Dead City and Daryl Dixon to look forward to (as well as an expected fourth for the latter), but beyond that it seems that anything truly is possible. And that's so darn exciting.
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