Actor Melissa McBride, who was to star in the planned Daryl and Carol-centric spin-off to The Walking Dead, has reportedly exited the project over “creative differences.” TV Line was the first to report, although AMC has not yet provided a comment.
The spin-off, which was first announced in September 2020, was one many were looking forward to since the characters–portrayed by Norman Reedus and McBride–have been on the long-running show since Season 1. Not many details have come out about the spin-off, likely because any announcements would by definition spoil how the flagship The Walking Dead series will ultimately conclude. However, it’s now reported that this spin-off will now solely focus on Daryl.
The Daryl spin-off is one of many expected to branch off The Walking Dead once the latter wraps. Still on the way are a set of feature films for Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), the anthology series Tales of the Walking Dead, and the most recently announced Isle of the Dead–which will feature Negan and Maggie, and debut sometime in 2023. Fear the Walking Dead has been going strong since 2015.
In an op-ed published in March, GameSpot’s Mark Delaney argues that the spin-off announcements are “killing the final season’s buzz.” The Walking Dead is winding its way to a finale after 12 years and nearly 200 episodes.
