Negan and Maggie are back in the latest spin-off of The Walking Dead, titled Dead City. Here’s what to know.
Rest in peace. Or not. On November 20, the final episode of The Walking Dead aired, ending the run of one of the biggest shows of all time after 11 seasons. However, just like the titular "walkers," this franchise is anything but dead. The Walking Dead: Dead City marks one of the latest entries in the ever-growing Walking Dead Universe
The flagship series first branched out in 2015 with Fear the Walking Dead, which enjoyed similar levels of success upon its debut. Then there was the limited The Walking Dead: World Beyond which aired for just two seasons in 2020 and 2021. Most recently, 2022 gave us the anthology Tales of the Walking Dead, which presented a new cast of characters in each episode. Though the flagship series is gone, the franchise is anything but dead. It's still "walking," if you will. Fear will air its eighth season in 2023, joined by new spin-offs Daryl Dixon, Rick & Michonne, and Dead City.
Let's look at everything we know about The Walking Dead: Dead City. How will it continue the story established by its predecessor? Who will return to the cast, and what new faces will join them? When and where will the series be released? And what else should audiences know about The Walking Dead: Dead City?
Dead City will center on Negan and Maggie in New York City after the events of The Walking Dead series finale. Of course, their arcs together have been anything but smooth, as Negan happily bashed Maggie's husband Glenn to death in the seventh season premiere. For many seasons, Maggie was bent on revenge against the man who took her husband's life. However, in the final season, the group learns that Negan has a wife and family, which has softened him significantly. Maggie admits that she may be willing to trust him.
In the series finale, she admits she doesn't want to hold onto her hate for Negan, but she also can't forgive him. They're able to form an uneasy alliance by the show's end; even if they don't like each other, they might be able to trust each other.
Ahead of the finale, Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan discussed what is in store for their characters in Dead City. The spin-off picks up a few years after the TWD finale in New York City, with the two leads forced to put aside their differences to survive in the post-apocalyptic city. Cohan explained that Maggie still holds hate for Negan based on his past actions, but they need to work together if they want to achieve the bigger picture: survival.
As for Negan, Morgan noted that audiences might see some of the old Negan in Dead City, as he had to resort to some old ways to survive in the gap between series. A teaser depicted the two leads in a decimated NYC, joined by new faces as they once again contend with walkers. The brief 20-second teaser doesn't give much away in terms of details. Though, what it does reveal, along with the statements of the actors, lets us know that Dead City will likely be rife with the tensions that audiences have come to know and love from the TWD universe.
As we know, Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan will be back as Maggie and Negan, respectively. While we may see additional TWD alumni pop in, Cohan and Morgan are the only two confirmed cast members returning.
Gaius Charles, known for TV roles on Grey's Anatomy, Friday Night Lights, and NCIS, is joining the cast as Perlie Armstrong. Perlie is described as a devoted family man who is ruthless in his pursuit of justice and building a safe world for his family. In addition to Charles, Dead City has added Madam Secretary actor Zeljko Ivanek as a character known only as The Croat. The show also features The Blacklist's Jonathan Higginbotham as Tommaso, NCIS: Hawaii's Mahina Napoleon as Ginny, actor Trey Santiago-Hudson as Jano, and Charlie Solis as a character known only as the Bartender.
Additional cast members with unconfirmed roles include Michael Anthony, Alex Borlo, David Chen, Randy Gonzalez, Alex Huynh, Aixa Kendrick, Karina Ortiz, Caleb Reese Paul, Eleanor Reissa, and John Wu. We can expect confirmation of these roles, as well as additional casting information, as production continues.
There is no exact release date attached to The Walking Dead: Dead City, though it is expected to premiere on AMC around April 2023. The first season will consist of six episodes. With every episode of the TWD franchise airing on a Sunday, we can likely expect the same timeslot for Dead City, though we'll have to wait for confirmation to be sure.
The Walking Dead: Dead City: Plot, Cast, and Everything Else We Know – MovieWeb
