The Walking Dead will continue its impressive run with an eleventh season, as confirmed during the show’s panel at NYCC. Neither showrunner Angela Kang or chief creative officer Scott M. Gimple shared any details about what the 2020 season might entail, but it’s safe to say that it will continue to touch on story beats first introduced in Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard’s comics.
The introduction of comic character Princess could open up the world of The Walking Dead, creating a pathway to the next big (and final) storyline from the comic: the group’s struggle with the Commonwealth, a sprawling metropolis that’s rebuilt civilsation in the years since the zombie apocalypse. Much of the final quarter of the comic series, which ended with issue #193, focuses on how the Commonwealth is a safe haven for humanity’s future but also a relic of the past with rampant social inequality. The story sees big changes for Rick, Carl, Michonne, and Alexandria and Hilltop as a whole.
Whether the Commonwealth will be the focus of season 11 or not, one thing we know for sure is that the show will get there with a very different cast of characters. Chandler Riggs (Carl) was killed off in season 8, while Andrew Lincoln (Rick) made his exit in season 9, although he’ll return for a 2020 movie that will reveal where Mr. Grimes has been for the past few years. Danai Gurira, who has shot her final scene in season 10, is leaving the franchise completely and won’t be returning for the movie.
One character who will return is Maggie, with Lauren Cohan confirming the news in an exciting reveal at NYCC. Cohan left the series in the first half of season 9 to shoot Whiskey Cavalier, but the show’s cancellation made her return to The Walking Dead a no-brainer.
No release date has been set for season 11, but expect it some time in October 2020.
