It has been 11 years since The Walking Dead was first introduced to audiences at New York Comic Con back in 2010. Fast forward to 2022, the mothership series is on its last legs as it reaches its conclusion with this final batch of episodes. To give a proper goodbye to the fans at the convention, some of the cast stopped by the Main Stage to share their memories of working on the show as well as what’s to come for the final episodes as well as the future of the franchise. Hosted by Talking Dead’s Chris Hardwick, the panel brought in showrunner Scott Gimple along with cast members Lauren Cohan, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Ridloff, Norman Reedus, Paola Lazaro, Elenor Matsura, and Michael James Shaw.
Kicking things off, Scott teased that the last seven episodes all come together as the characters come to their natural conclusions to end the series. To give a taste of the final installments, Fans were given a clip from an upcoming episode featuring Daryl as he makes a move on the Commonwealth. The cast got to share some memories on set and shared a memorable picture they took during filming. Reedus discussed his time as Daryl, saying he was able to take in 9 crossbows after he finished filming the final season. He shared a picture of him and Michael Rooker on set as he touched on how much his character has changed throughout the series. He enjoyed the many cast members he got to work with, especially Melissa McBride.
Cohan discussed her journey coming back to The Walking Dead after being off the show for a while. Sharing a picture at a birthday party, Cohan talked about the fun times she had on set with everyone and will miss it. Jeffrey chatted about Negan’s evolution as a character, saying he didn’t expect his character to last more than 3 years on the show. A picture he was proud to share was one during Andrew Lincoln’s final farewell, where he addressed that he was among the cast who didn’t know he was leaving the show. Paola gave a rundown on Princess’ journey and how much it meant to her to be on the show. She mentioned how working in this role changed her life and was able to obtain a new family with the cast and the fans. Connecting with her character, Paola sees a lot of herself in Princess as she shared a photo of her and Reedus on set, showcasing the kindness that he and the others have given her.
Ridloff gave her thoughts on being on the show playing Connie, a deaf character on the show that has connected fans all over. She said being able to play this role has taught her to set out whatever her heart chooses. She added that she has appreciated the love that the fans have given her at conventions, showcasing how communication has been a key part of her character. Sharing a photo of a dinner she went to after meeting the cast for the first time. She enjoyed the company of Reedus and Morgan, both of whom she was big fans of, and made things comfortable for her on set.
Just like Ridloff, Matsura also found it challenging when she took on the role of Kimiko. She found it difficult wearing a suit and shoes during the final run, not telling anyone how terrified she was working for the first time on the show. Despite that, she was honored to be on the show, especially after sharing a photo of her and the group wrapping up the 10th season. After looking at the picture, she expressed how hard it’ll be to let go of the show when it’s over. Shaw ended the segment by sharing the traits that he shared with his character Mercer. After losing his father, Shaw explained how playing the role brought him closer to home and thanked the showrunners for their support. He shared a photo of him and special make-up effects artists Greg Nicotero, who had played a zombie previously on the show.
Towards the end of the panel, fans were given a tease at two spin-offs of The Walking Dead. Reedus started with the status of the Daryl spin-off, which is being shot in France. The actor mentioned that it’ll be epic in scale with a different look, feel, and sound to it. He added that the show will put Daryl in a different environment than he’s used to as he learns to adapt to these new surroundings. Cohan and Morgan discuss their spin-off, which is titled Dead City. The fans were given first-look photos from the upcoming series, showing the New York setting as well as some new characters who join the original Walking Dead duo. It is being shot in Jersey as it substitutes for New York showing the status of the world of The Walking Dead in that metropolis setting. Scott revealed that the show will premiere sometime in April.
Until then, fans will be able to see how The Walking Dead comes to a close in the final episodes being aired on both AMC and AMC Plus.
