It's a big week for The Walking Dead Universe and fans are prepared for some major reveals, news, and announcements from the long-running AMC franchise. Yes, the legendary saga continues almost two decades after the original series began and, according to the-powers-that-be at AMC, it will continue for many more years to come. As for what that actually looks like, we might get some answers this coming week.
See, the TWD Universe will be hosting its annual Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday, July 24. This year's will be specific to The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3, as stars Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan will lead a panel teasing fans with what they can expect from the spinoff's upcoming season. This will come ahead of a screening of the season 3 premiere before it airs on AMC and AMC+ this Sunday.
However, fans are also hoping for one major announcement that could guarantee the immediate future of the TWD Universe.
A Dead City season 4 renewal announcement would guarantee TWD's future
As Dead City will be taking center stage at SDCC, fans are holding out hope for a season 4 renewal announcement. The TWD Universe has a history of announcing renewals during the summer; Dead City was renewed for a third season shortly after its second completed in summer 2025 while fellow TWD spinoff The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon was renewed for a fourth and final season at SDCC last year. So there is definitely scope for a renewal announcement here.
The truth is that it's unclear as to whether Dead City will return for another season. While season 3 is set to premiere on July 26, a number of rumors have suggested that it will be ending alongside Daryl Dixon. But as AMC actually announced that Daryl would conclude with its fourth season this year, it's hard to believe that Dead City would end without making fans aware that season 3 would be the final season too. With that in mind, fans are hoping for a season 4 renewal.
There's also a lot more riding on a potential fourth season of Dead City. See, with Daryl Dixon ending later this year and Dead City's immediate future beyond season 3 rather unclear at the moment, there are currently no Walking Dead shows confirmed for 2027. If AMC doesn't reveal Dead City's fate - or confirms that season 3 is the final season - that would very likely break a 17-year-old streak for the TWD Universe.
Ever since The Walking Dead premiered on AMC back in 2010, there has been at least one TWD show on the airwaves each year since. Sometimes there have been multiple - from the original series and Fear The Walking Dead in the glory days of the franchise to the modern days of Daryl Dixon and Dead City - which really does highlight what a juggernaut this franchise has become. For there to just suddenly be no new Walking Dead series on the cable network next year would be a real blow to fans of the TWD Universe - and it would raise questions about its future. Because, honestly, that shouldn't be a possibility considering where the network is at with the franchise right now.
The Walking Dead continues to be a global phenom for AMC and the short-form spinoffs have proved to be concise, thrilling investments that allow the franchise to continue on long-term. Daryl Dixon's conclusion after four seasons was sudden but at least we had a year to prepare for its final season; Dead City deserves the same treatment.
Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan recently teased that they would do a few more seasons of the show, so there's a pretty high chance that those rumors about Dead City's demise may be premature. If that is the case, a season 4 renewal announcement at San Diego Comic-Con would certainly go a long way in putting fans' minds at ease. You know that fans would be ready for more New York City adventures from Maggie and Negan.
We know that AMC plans to continue investing in The Walking Dead franchise for years to come, with the network's president Dan McDermott confirming that there will always be TWD shows as part of their line-up, but fans are hoping for some clarity as to what that actually means. A fourth season of Dead City could pave the way for that next chapter, all while allowing the TWD Universe to keep the 17-year streak alive. Let's hope that SDCC is the place that all of this is set in motion!
The Walking Dead: Dead City airs on AMC and streams on AMC+ on Sunday, July 26.
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