Rick Grimes and Michonne will return to The Walking Dead universe in a new spinoff show on AMC. Portrayed by Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira, respectively, Rick and Michonne are among two of the most popular Walking Dead characters, though they've been absent from the show for some time now. Rick was last in season 9, taken away in one of the CRM's helicopters, while Michonne departed in season 10 in search of Rick after discovering evidence of his whereabouts.

Though both Lincoln and Gurira departed The Walking Dead, there was always a plan for them to return as Rick and Michonne. Previously, it was announced that three Walking Dead movies would continue the zombie apocalypse's story on the big screen. Lincoln was set to return as Rick in the first of these Walking Dead movies, and though never confirmed, it was assumed Gurira would return as Michonne as well. Now, however, those plans are changing.

Related: How World Beyond Saved Walking Dead's Rick Grimes Movie

At The Walking Dead panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, Walking Dead's Chief Content Officer Scott Gimple was joined on stage by Lincoln and Gurira. Together, they announced Rick and Michonne's much-awaited return, revealing the pair will star in their own Walking Dead spinoff show. The series will have six episodes to start and is set to release in 2023 on AMC and AMC+. The presently untitled Rick and Michonne spinoff show will replace AMC's previous plans for Walking Dead movies. Additionally, AMC has released a teaser poster for the new spinoff featuring Michonne's iconic katana. You can check it out—along with a picture of Gimple, Gurira, and Lincoln making their announcement—in the space below:

Walking Dead Rick Grimes and Michonne spinoff show teaser poster full size
Scott Gimple on stage with Danai Gurira and Andrew Lincoln for Walking Dead panel

Reportedly, per Deadline's Justin Kroll, the decision to opt for a series rather than a movie came about as a result of AMC's recent change in leadership and a desire to wrap up Rick and Michonne's story on the network as opposed to in theaters. This certainly makes sense given The Walking Dead has been a staple for AMC ever since it premiered, launching its own franchise that still brings in huge audiences even if viewership has waned in recent years. While getting to see The Walking Dead on the big screen and potentially with a more cinematic look (not to mention budget) would have been a treat, exploring Rick and Michonne's reunion across six hours instead of two is sure to result in a better sendoff for the characters.

As for what exactly the Rick and Michonne spinoff show will be about, those details are still being kept under wraps. It will obviously cover Michonne reuniting with Rick, but it's unclear how or even where she finds him. The current theory is Rick is somewhere near Philadelphia, either as a prisoner of the Civic Republic or begrudgingly working with them. Another Walking Dead spinoff show, World Beyond, showed how dangerous life can be within the Civic Republic, especially around its Civic Republic Military (CRM), so it's unlikely to have been an easy time for Rick in the years since he last saw Michonne. The same could be said for her, however, as viewers have no idea what sort of journey Michonne has been on, last seen coming across a huge group of new survivors. As The Walking Dead prepares to release the finale episodes, perhaps they'll include clues about what we can expect from Rick and Michonne's spinoff.

More: Everything We Know About Walking Dead's Rick Grimes Movie

Source: AMC, Justin Kroll