We first heard about AMC's plans for a The Walking Dead spinoff focusing on bonafide badasses Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride) back in 2020, but the show's development has now hit a major bump in the road.
According to TV Line, McBride has exited the series, which will now focus solely on Daryl. The initial report suggested that this decision was made for "purely creative" reasons, but an update from an AMC spokesperson sheds some more light on what really went down.
“Melissa McBride has given life to one of the most interesting, real, human and popular characters in The Walking Dead Universe. Unfortunately, she is no longer able to participate in the previously announced spinoff focused on the Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier characters, which will be set and filmed in Europe this summer and premiere next year. Relocating to Europe became logistically untenable for Melissa at this time. We know fans will be disappointed by this news, but The Walking Dead Universe continues to grow and expand in interesting ways and we very much hope to see Carol again in the near future.”
Daryl and Carol are now the only surviving characters (well, Rick is reportedly set to return at some point) from the first season, and have formed a close bond over the years. It's a shame we won't get to see their European zombie-killing tour, but a show focusing on Daryl should still be of interest to those who've stuck with The Walking Dead all this time.
What do you guys make of this news? Are you still watching the show? Drop us a comment in the usual spot.
About The Author:
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.