After 12 years on air, The Walking Dead ended with an awe-inspiring series finale, bringing back fan-favorite characters and setting the path for upcoming spin-offs in the works. While a good portion of the main cast will continue to contribute to the show's expanding universe, many will pursue promising film careers while others will take a break.
Outside The Walking Dead spin-offs, viewers can also find the talented actors in projects, like The Boys and Teen Wolf: The Movie. Regardless, fans can't wait to see the actors they followed for so many years appear on their screens again.
Lauren Cohan - The Walking Dead: Dead City
Lauren Cohan played the fan-favorite Maggie in The Walking Dead, a character that disappeared for a good chunk of season 9 and, to compensate for that, will have her own spin-off series. That's not all, as her character will be returning alongside Negan, the anti-hero who killed her husband in the original series, which hints at some memorable character dynamics.
The upcoming spin-off series will bring a location that fans were eager to see since season 1: New York. The American metropolis promises good challenges for Maggie and Negan as it will definitely accommodate terrifying hordes.
Norman Reedus - The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon
Norman Reedus is the most active member of The Walking Dead cast, having appeared in 175 out of the 177 episodes. Since Daryl Dixon is the character with the best growth and arguably the show's most beloved character, the announcement of his spin-off series came as no surprise.
According to People, the actor hinted at a tonal shift from what fans were used to in the main show, and the most obvious change is the location since the spin-off is confirmed to be set in Europe. Additionally, Reedus has also been cast in Jeff Nichol's next movie The Bikeriders, which will follow the rise of a Midwestern motorcycle club and its members. This is great news for diehard fans who wish to see Daryl reunited with his beloved motorcycle.
Seth Gilliam - Teen Wolf: The Movie
Seth Gilliam played Gabriel Strokes, one of the most underrated characters of The Walking Dead. Starting off as a deceitful priest, his arc led him to become an honest, respectful man among all the communities. Before joining the show, Gilliam used to play Dr. Alan Deaton, a recurring supporting character in Teen Wolf, and is set to return for the TV movie coming out in 2023.
Dr. Alan Deaton is part of the small group of Teen Wolf characters from season 1 who lived by the end and is likely to have a bigger role in the movie since so many characters are now gone. The film will work as a sequel to the original series, reuniting old friends and ancient villains.
Lauren Ridloff - Accused
Lauren Ridloff played Connie, a beloved addition to the show's final season and Daryl's potential love interest. Different from what fans expected, Connie survived the final season and continued to live happily as a journalist in the communities.
Ridloff will head straight to another promising TV show releasing next year, Accused, an anthological series that follows ordinary people caught up in a series of extraordinary situations. The show is based on a British crime anthology of the same name, also created by Jimmy McGovern. Viewers can expect the new show to address modern trends and explore a new promising cast, which includes Rachel Bilson and Michael Chiklis.
Christian Serratos - More
After playing the strong-willed and skillful Walking Dead character Rosita since season 4, Christian Serratos is likely to take a break from acting, but she's already confirmed in the upcoming series More, which is currently in the pre-production stage.
Perhaps the other side of the coin for Succession fans, More will tell the story of the Lorenz family, a clan of thriving Latinx led by mom and head of the family, Leona, played by Veronica Falcón. Other names in the strong cast include Yvette Montreal, the Wildcat from Stargirl, and Georgia Flores from Famous In Love.
Josh McDermitt - Lilly
No one imagined Eugene would become one of the longest-surviving characters in The Walking Dead. Played by Josh McDermitt, the character overcame his insecurities and became a warrior as skillful as he is intelligent.
Following the show's end, McDermitt already has a movie on the way - Lilly, currently in the post-production phase. Directed by Rachel Feldman, the indie film will be a suspense drama about the life of American activist Rachel Ledbetter, played by the talented Patricia Clarkson, who has a history in both TV and cinema.
Khary Payton - The Super Mario Bros. Movie
If there is an actor who has such versatility with roles, Khary Payton nails the feat; he will go from the ruthless clan leader Ezekiel to the sweet little Penguin King in the Super Mario Bros movie. Ezekiel met one of the happiest fates of The Walking Dead, accomplishing the feat of recovering from cancer amid a zombie apocalypse and becoming the Governor of Commonwealth.
As for his role in the upcoming Super Mario Bros movie, his character in fact has a few similarities with Ezekiel, such as their strong sense of leadership.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan - The Boys
Dean Morgan's addition to The Walking Dead reshaped the show entirely, although it took fans some time to get used to Negan's constant presence. More importantly, he evolved from a merciless antagonist to a captivating anti-hero. Even though he's confirmed in the show's upcoming spin-off Dead City alongside Lauren Cohan, there's an even bigger project waiting for him next year: The Boys.
Reuniting with Supernatural showrunner Eric Kripke, Dean Morgan's role is still yet to be revealed, but this is not the first time the actor has taken part in a superhero project. Fans recall him as the Comedian in Watchmen, and they will be happy to see him put on a superhero (or supervillain) suit again.
Cailey Fleming - Imaginary Friends
Cailey Fleming as Judith is the strongest child performance in the show, and fans are hopeful that a promising career will kick off. Imaginary Friends looks like a big jump after her TV role, as the film is currently in its filming stage and is set to be released in 2024.
Imaginary Friends will be John Krasinski's first film after A Quiet Place - now handed to Michael Sarnoski. Although the plot is still being kept secret, the film's stellar cast is enough to keep fans hyped with names such as Ryan Reynolds, Steve Carell, and Krasinski himself.
Ross Marquand - Avenging Justice
Apart from his phenomenal performance as Aaron in The Walking Dead and remaining one of the characters that truly lived up to his comics' counterpart, Marquand is also a talented voice actor. He appeared in successful animated shows, such as What If? and Invincible, whose presence is confirmed as The Immortal/Rudy in the show's second season.
Marquand joined the cast of Avenging Justice, which is funny because it seems to be an animated show that will satirize at least half of his career. In a comedy sketch format, the show will offer parodies and hot takes on everyone's favorite cartoons, superheroes, and comic books.