Upcoming The Walking Dead TV Shows: What's Ahead For The Zombie Universe In 2026

For the first time in a long time, it seems The Walking Dead franchise is slowing down on the 2026 television schedule. The blockbuster franchise, which kicked off (brace yourself) 16 years ago with the original show, has been churning out spinoffs ever since the first one, Fear the Walking Dead, launched in 2015. However, in 2026, it looks like there will just be two shows, and at least one of those is winding down.

The franchise has become legendary for its heartbreaking deaths, heroic characters, and gruesome scenes of zombies tearing people apart. That's when the people aren't doing the same to each other. Over the years, the AMC-based universe, which started as a modest comic book series, has expanded and expanded, until the last couple of years, when it has started contracting.

Here is what you can expect from the TWD universe in 2026 (and it's not a long list anymore).

The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 3 (2026)

For a while, it seemed the only show that would definitely be returning in 2026 was The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 3. Production began in late 2025, and all signs pointed to a release as early as summer. However, recently, there have been rumblings that it might not appear until 2027. In AMC's fourth-quarter financial report, released in February 2026, there was no mention of the show on its 2026 schedule. The show will definitely be back, but when that will be is a little up in the air.

The show, of course, follows the stories of Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and their long and winding path to...friendship? It's an unlikely pairing, given the history of the two, but through two seasons, Maggie, especially, has softened towards Negan. Season 2 ended with them seemingly making a permanent peace (maybe?) Only time will tell, and when that time comes is anybody's guess at the moment.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 4 (2026)

The only other show still on the docket, currently, is The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. Like Dead City, production has reportedly wrapped on what has proven to be the most popular of The Walking Dead spinoffs. In that same AMC financial report, Season 4 was included in its list of shows expected to be released in 2026, though a specific date (or even a window) has remained elusive. We'll be sure to update this space when an exact date is nailed down.

It's not really a surprise that this spinoff has proven to be the most enduring. It focuses on two of the most popular characters in the show's history, Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) and Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride). It's been a wild (motorcycle) ride that has spanned oceans and continents, and sadly for fans of the show, we do know that Season 4 will be the final season of the show, but hopes that Daryl and Carol could reunite with Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) remain high.

More Tales of the Walking Dead (TBD)

In the interest of completeness, we're including More Tales of the Walking Dead here, though with very little information since it was first announced in 2023, and seemingly waning interest in the franchise, this show may be D.O.A. at this point.

Meant to be a follow-up to the 2022 mini-series Tales of the Walking Dead, the show would follow the anthology format of that show. As of now, it seems like this project is, at best, on the back burner.

Completed The Walking Dead Projects

After eleven seasons, all of which are available with a Netflix subscription, The Walking Dead came to an end, concluding with its emotional finale in 2022. With that ending came spinoffs, including other shows that have since ended, as well.

Also completed are Fear The Walking Dead, which ended in November 2023, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, a two-season spinoff show that adds a lot of background information to the world, and The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, a miniseries about Rick and Michonne. There have been sporadic rumors over the years that The Ones Who Live could return, and showrunner Scott M. Gimple did tell The Direct that there could be a Season 2 of that series, so you never know.

If you want to check out all the shows, here’s how:

• Stream The Walking Dead on Netflix
• Stream Fear The Walking Dead on AMC+
• Stream The Walking Dead: World Beyond on AMC+
• Stream The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live on AMC+

It would probably never be a safe bet to count out the future of The Walking Dead franchise, but for now, at least, in late February of 2026, it does appear to be winding down. If anything changes and we get an exciting announcement of a new show (or shows), we'll be sure to update this, so keep checking back!