“[It] Can Go On and On”: ‘The Walking Dead’ Boss Thinks the Franchise Could Extend to 2040

The future of The Walking Dead franchise just got an interesting update from executive Scott. M Gimple. Based on the series of graphic novels by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard, The Walking Dead first hit the air in 2010 and ran until 2022. However, that didn’t mark the end of the franchise, as spin-offs such as The Ones Who Live, Fear the Walking Dead, Dead City, and Daryl Dixon have all aired just in the last few years. Gimple recently caught up with Games Radar to talk about the future of The Walking Dead franchise, and although it’s been around for 15 years now, he seems confident that it could go for another 15 and extend into 2040 and beyond:

"I do see that potential. The Walking Dead is about compelling characters in an unforgiving world, but one that is not without hope. Because the stakes are so high, the choices these characters make define them and change them, one way or another. That's the stuff of a great story. And the scariness, the action, the emotion, the discovery… That can go on and on, as long as we have some terrific characters. There are characters from every Walking Dead series that I would love to tell stories with again, some picking up from the last time we saw them, maybe seeing some after a lot of time has passed. Robert Kirkman created indelible, addictive characters and we've always just tried to keep pace with him."

The original Walking Dead series transcended the zombie genre to become one of the most important TV shows ever. Starring in the lead role of Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead is Andrew Lincoln, who is also known for his work in Love Actually (2003). However, Lincoln appears in far fewer episodes than Norman Reedus, who can be seen in 175 out of 177 episodes of the series. Reedus is also set to star opposite Ana de Armas later this year in Ballerina, the John Wick spin-off movie. Black Panther star Dani Gurira is also known for her work as Michonne in the series, and she returned to lead The Ones Who Live with Andrew Lincoln, which aired six episodes at the start of 2024. Steven Yeun, Lauren Cohen, Melissa McBride, Ross Marquand, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Khary Payton also star in The Walking Dead.

Robert Kirkman Is Known for More Than Just ‘The Walking Dead’

Robert Kirkman may have kicked off his career with his work on The Walking Dead, but he’s become more famous for another series in the last few years. Kirkman is also the mind behind Invincible, the Prime Video animated series that’s through three seasons with a fourth on the way next year. In addition to writing the Invincible comics, Kirkman is also a writer on the show and is heavily involved with the creative direction. Kirkman recently wrote the script for Renfield, the vampire horror movie starring Nicholas Hoult and Nicolas Cage, and he's also involved in the upcoming Marvel Zombies series coming to Disney+ this year.