Though The Walking Dead flagship show ended its eleven-year run only seven months ago, the zombie-centered series is the franchise that refuses to die, with several upcoming TWD series on the horizon. Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan’s reprisal of fan-fave rivals Negan and Maggie, respectively, in AMC’s newest offshoot subtitled Dead City, has already hit the 2023 TV schedule with a Dixon spinoff coming soon. However, some fans have already shared some complaints with the Norman Reedus-led production, prompting the Negan actor to respond.
Addressing the concerns of "toxic fans" who have been critical of the upcoming spinoffs, the Negan actor recently shared an intriguing hint about the forthcoming AMC drama. In a social media post on Twitter, Morgan posted a picture of Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride in character, expressing his excitement and shutting down the negativity surrounding the new shows.
Well well. We’re sorry Norman… fer talking oodles of shit to you when we thought melissa wasn’t doing show! Golly… this must of been in the works for ages! (Twas from start) Goddamn it’s great seeing these two together! Can’t wait! Xojd
Back in 2020, a spinoff featuring the beloved motorcycle-riding, crossbow-wielding hero was announced, and fans naturally assumed that Melissa McBride would be a part of the show considering her character's history with Daryl and their undeniable chemistry. However, in 2022, it was revealed that the actress would be exiting the Daryl/Carol spinoff, leading some fans to direct their frustration toward the Dixon actor.
But in the recent Twitter post, Jeffrey Dean Morgan shared a picture of the fan-favorite duo while expressing his excitement about the news that McBride would appear in the spinoff. In his post, the Watchmen alum showed his enthusiasm and addressed the negativity surrounding the situation, sarcastically apologizing to Reedus for “talking oodles of shit.”
Reports suggested McBride turned down the spinoff due to her reluctance to relocate to Europe for the production. However, some fans online criticized Reedus, implying that he played a role in Carol's departure from the show. This speculation enraged Morgan, prompting him to express his frustration on Twitter. In a passionate defense of Reedus, he wrote:
Some of you have gone WAY too far. Attacking Norm for crap he has NOTHING to do with? Melissa made a call that was hers alone. She wants/needs a break. Respect that. Factors involved that are nobody’s business. Norm, who’s given more than anyone to you all. Just SHITTY.
More recently, Morgan responded to a user questioning whether these toxic fans would take credit for McBride's return to the project due to their constant complaints. In response to the commenter, he said:
Nope. It's the opposite. Toxic behavior is toxic. Nobody wants to hear or read it. The love between Norm and Melissa surpasses all the negativity from outside.
Two things are obvious: You want to be friends with Jeffrey Dean Morgan because the dude is gonna have your back. And fans will see Daryl and Carol reuniting after all.
Morgan currently stars in the new spinoff titled The Walking Dead: Dead City, which our own Nick Venable had some thoughts on. The series, which airs new episodes on AMC every Sunday at 8:00 p.m. ET, departs from the wilderness and takes the action to the ruins of Manhattan. Alongside him, Lauren Cohan reprises her role as Maggie, reluctantly teaming up with the once baseball-wielding baddy to rescue her kidnapped son in New York City. You can watch the action-packed trailer below:
As we anticipate the reunion of the popular zombie-killing team in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon on AMC, you can revisit the entire flagship series with a Netflix subscription.
