The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus wants to keep playing Daryl Dixon for six or seven more years in further spin-off projects.
Speaking to Mr Feelgood, Reedus said The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon show allowed him to create something different to the original series and therefore kept the role fresh despite him having played the character since 2010.
When asked how long he'd like to continue playing Daryl for, Reedus had a fairly clear idea. "I think maybe six or seven more years," he said, which would see him playing the role for two decades.
"The Daryl Dixon spin-off has given me an opportunity to take the show in a direction that’s different to the original show. I didn’t want to make the same show again in a different location. I wanted to reinvent it.
"And they let me, with the other like-minded people involved, invent something new. So it feels fresh to me. It’s in a different language. It’s shot a different way. It’s not really about zombies, and who’s going to get bit this week, it’s completely different. So as long as I keep reinventing it, it’s fun."
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon follows Reedus's character after he washed ashore in France and had to piece together how he got there amid the zombie apocalypse. Season 2, The Book of Carol, arrives on September 29, 2024, though only time will tell if the show continues after that.
AMC has made clear its intention to keep The Walking Dead going, however, as this show is just one of several released alongside the main series. Fear the Walking Dead arrived first and focused on a different group of survivors from the main show's, World Beyond ran for two seasons and focused on a group of Nebraska teenagers, Tales of the Walking Dead is an anthology series set within that world, Dead City focuses on main series' stars Maggie and Negan as they fight through New York City, and The Ones Who Live similarly focuses on Rick and Michonne following the events of the main show.
Reedus will therefore likely have his pick of upcoming shows and seasons if he looks to continue playing Daryl for several more years.
In our 7/10 review of Season 1, IGN said: "The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is an enjoyable rehabilitation of the Daryl character, taking him on a hero's journey through France that allows him to open up, enjoy life, be a badass, and genuinely change his zompocalypse footing."
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.
