This year has been a good one to be a fan of the Walking Dead franchise. AMC's veteran saga continues to tell new stories through its ongoing spinoffs and, for the first time since they debuted in 2023, both multi-season ones aired new episodes in the same calendar year. Although many understandably wanted more from miniseries The Ones Who Live, it's been great to see new episodes from both Daryl Dixon and Dead City.
It's also been great to see both of those shows get renewed for more seasons, as Dead City snagged a season 3 renewal while Daryl Dixon was also renewed for a fourth and final season. That means more episodes await us. What's even better is that it sounds like 2026 will be another year where both release new installments.
In fact, that seems particularly true after this new update.
Dead City season 3 wraps filming, likely confirming a 2026 release
The Walking Dead: Dead City has officially wrapped production on its third season. The season, which filmed in Boston, Massachusetts (which serves as a double for New York City), has been in production since September 8, is expected to feature between six to eight episodes. Although the plot remains under wraps at this point, it will likely pick up shortly after the season 2 finale, where Maggie, Negan, and Perlie Armstrong vowed to take back the city and inspire hope once again. Of course, in the TWD Universe, that will be easier said than done.
Actor Jimmi Simpson, who joined the season as one of its multiple new additions, took to social media to confirm that he had wrapped on it, sharing a photo of himself holding Negan's infamous barbed wire bat Lucille. He added that they all "smashed" season 3, highlighting his excitement for fans to see it.
Meanwhile actor Logan Kim, who plays Maggie and Glenn's son Hershel, also took to Instagram to confirm the end of filming was upon them, posting a photo with Jeffrey Dean Morgan and new addition Raul Castillo.
Needless to say, Dead City's completion of production on season 3 is a good thing as it essentially confirms that the series will return to screens at some point in 2026. Remember, there is no typical release pattern for this show to guide us with, as there was a two-year gap between the first two seasons. Naturally, fans were worried that the same might happen again after AMC greenlit the third season. But the prompt timeframe between renewal and production itself suggests that it's very much a priority for all involved.
Better yet, fellow spinoff Daryl Dixon has maintained a yearly release since its 2023 premiere and it too just recently wrapped production on its fourth season. That is also likely an indicator that Dead City will return next year. Why? Because Daryl's next season is expected to air in its annual fall window, meaning that a 2026 release window is likely on the cards for Dead City as well. Both of them wrapping production at similar times suggests that next year will indeed be another good year for TWD fans!
The Dead City season 3 renewal came earlier this year, with the announcement that it would feature a new showrunner. Walking Dead veteran Seth Hoffman joins the show in the role, stepping in for Eli Jorné, who is stepping down. That means we could be in for a different approach to things. Whatever that might be, we can't wait to see it in action when Dead City returns (which is now very likely to be in 2026).