It has been announced that Melissa McBride, known for playing Carol Peletier in The Walking Dead series, has exited AMC’s upcoming spin-off that was to focus on her character and Norman Reedus’ character, Daryl Dixon. The news was first reported by TVLine.
The spinoff is now reported to focus completely on Daryl only. It was speculated that McBride's departure from the spinoff may have been due to AMC’s own creative choices. However, a spokesperson for the network released a statement blaming set location conflicts instead:
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.
Even with McBride’s departure from the currently untitled spinoff series, it is still expected to premiere in 2023, which is great news for eager fans. However, the direction of the overall story is the main worry among the fandom now since McBride’s character, Carol, was to be one of the main focuses of the show. We’ll have to wait for more information to see what’s next.
Television audiences were first introduced to Sheriff Rick Grimes and his band of misfit survivors in the first television series of Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead comic series in 2010. Viewers followed along as the gang fought to survive and searched for humanity in the zombie-like outbreak of a mysterious disease. Their lives were changed forever as they fought against walkers (zombies), as well as fellow humans, to carve a better existence for themselves amidst all the chaos.
Since airing, The Walking Dead has been a rollercoaster ride of a show, and as it comes to an end, its children must carry on the family name. The series' popularity has given the opportunity for several spin-offs, one of which is in its eighth season already. So, fresh excitement was in the air when it was announced that the Deadverse would be expanding to include a spin-off featuring two fan-favorite characters: The bow-wielding wilderness-savvy Daryl Dixon and his closest thing to family since the start of the apocalyptic chaos, Carol.
Now with the unfortunate absence of Carol, it will be interesting to see what a Daryl-focused series will add to the ever-growing zombie-filled storyline.