The Walking Dead season 11 will feature notable changes from the comic book storyline, according to creator Robert Kirkman. Because of scheduling postponements due in part to the coronavirus pandemic, details on season 11’s release date remain unknown. The season 10 finale is set to debut on October 4th, with a series of six “bonus” season 10 episodes scheduled for early next year.
The TV show has continued to diverge more and more from the comic book storyline over time, especially since the departure of long-time protagonist Rick Grimes at the end of season 9. In the comics, Rick is killed in issue 192, just one issue before the popular series finally reached its conclusion. In the TV series, Rick is still alive upon his departure, and his story will be continued in an upcoming feature film, which Kirkman has confirmed he is working on. With Rick gone from the show, however, more divergence from the comics can be expected moving into the next season.
In a Q&A session for San Diego Comic-Con@Home, Kirkman said that Rick’s absence, in particular, would mean “certain stories are changed,” and that he is “very excited” at the prospect of these alterations. Kirkman also confirmed that season 11 would see the return of Lauren Cohan’s Maggie character, as well as significant developments for Carol and Daryl. You can read his full quote below.
“What can we expect in season 11 of The Walking Dead? More Maggie. Lauren Cohan is back. There’s a lot of cool stuff planned for characters named Daryl and Carol. There is no Rick Grimes in the show anymore, so there’s going to be some stories that are changed, which I’m very excited about. But we will be still moving into some areas that are from the comics in some new and interesting, and different ways.”
Differences between the TV and comic versions of the Walking Dead story have been key points of discussion since the pilot episode debuted to widespread praise, and story changes have often worked well for the show. Perhaps most famously, the character of Daryl Dixon – portrayed since the first season by Norman Reedus – never existed in the comics at all, and was created specifically for Reedus after an impressive audition. Daryl has been one of the most beloved and important characters in the entire show since it first began, and it’s hard to imagine the series having quite the same flavor or level of success without him. Kirkman’s indication that more interesting Daryl content is to come in season 11 bodes well for the hinted changes.
It will also be interesting to see what The Walking Dead season 11 brings for Carol and Maggie, two other characters who, like Daryl, debuted in the show’s first season. Despite inevitable changes from the source material, maintaining narrative focus on characters who have been so central to the TV version promises to keep fans interested going forward.
Source: SDCC 2020