Daryl & Rick’s Potential Walking Dead Reunion After 7 Years Apart Addressed By Norman Reedus

Norman Reedus, star of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, has addressed the possibility of a reunion between Daryl and one of the franchise's most beloved characters: Rick Grimes. At this year's San Diego Comic-Con, it was confirmed that The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is slated to end after season 4, with Daryl and Carol's (Melissa McBride) European journey set to continue in the next two seasons.

With Daryl Dixon seasons 3 and 4 both confirmed to be taking place in Spain, it remains to be seen how, or even if, Daryl and Carol will find their way home. As such, though fans may be holding out hope for a reunion between Daryl and The Walking Dead's leading man, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), there's a strong chance it won't happen. Reedus explained why he doesn't think it would be a good idea during an SDCC interview with IGN:

"We’re very aware of [theories Daryl Dixon will end with a reunion]. There’s so many ideas thrown around from fans for all these things. I think sometimes it’s better to do the opposite of what people expect, so they’re surprised. If we just read what fans wanted all the time and gave them what they wanted, then you would know the outcome of everything. So, sometimes I think it’s better to tell your story. People can like it, argue, hate it, whatever, but you don’t want to just read Twitter, you know what I’m saying?"

What Does This Mean For The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon?

Is There Room For A Reunion Within The Walking Dead Franchise?

Since Daryl's story on The Walking Dead's flagship show ended with him going to search for Rick and his partner Michonne (Danai Gurira) before he washed up in France, it stands to reason that the spinoff would end with a reunion between the three characters.

However, if, as Reedus suggests, that isn't the case, there's still a chance their reunion could happen somewhere else down the line as The Walking Dead franchise continues to evolve. At the Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon panel at SDCC, Reedus hinted that, while Daryl Dixon will end with season 4, bringing Daryl and Carol's Spanish adventure to a close, Daryl's story may not be over yet:

"It will allow us to complete the story of Daryl and Carol in Spain. It'll complete this part of the journey. It's the last season of this iteration of this show."

If Daryl Dixon ends with Carol and Daryl's safe return home, a different spinoff or "iteration of this show" could pick up where he left off, reuniting him with Rick and the rest of his family, who found each other again and enjoyed a rare, happy ending in the final episode of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.

Andrew Lincoln and creator Scott M. Gimple told Entertainment Weekly after the finale of The Ones Who Live aired that they'd be open to continuing Rick and Michonne's story if there was ever a good enough reason to. Would bringing the bare-bones remains of The Walking Dead's core cast together be enough of a reason? Lincoln seemed to think so.

"It's definitely going to go somewhere, but it might just be in my brain. It might just be my fan fiction," Gimple told EW, while Lincoln said:

"Never say never. There are other very important characters in the universe that are still wandering around and alive, that I think it might be quite exciting to have them breathe the same air and see how long they survive together. But it's a difficult one. It would have to be like this, a really exciting story."

Our Take On A Potential Daryl And Rick Reunion

It Would Be The Best Way To End The Franchise

The future of The Walking Dead is currently unclear. Once Daryl Dixon ends after season 4, the only other mainline show currently confirmed and left on the slate is Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Negan's (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) The Walking Dead: Dead City, which has been renewed for season 3. Will that be where the franchise ends, though?

The Walking Dead is one of the longest-running, sprawling, and most successful TV franchises out there. It deserves a proper, emotional, and cathartic ending, and bringing Daryl and Rick back together with everyone else again, in whichever (final) spinoff that may be, would certainly go a long way to creating a memorable and genuinely satisfying finale for The Walking Dead's storied history.

Scott Gimple, who not only serves as showrunner and creator but also oversees the creation of The Walking Dead franchise, has previously stated that he'd love to bring the spinoffs and The Walking Dead's characters together again at some point. During an interview with ScreenRant, Gimple said:

"I've said over and over that my dream for many years, the plan all along in many ways, has been to see these characters cross, whether it be in small ways or big ways."

Rick and Daryl may yet have their reunion. First, though, Daryl and Carol need to survive another fight against a treacherous gang in Spain in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3.