The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman has apparently confirmed that the zombie outbreak was caused by a space spore, and - assuming the explanation isn't a joke - it's a disappointing reveal. Though The Walking Dead toyed early on with the possibility of a cure, the show has totally ignored the initial cause of the outbreak and only in certain instances have the characters discussed putting an end to the zombie virus. Eugene (Josh McDermitt) falsely claimed to have an understanding of the virus and the knowledge to create a cure. After he was exposed as a fraud, The Walking Dead moved on to other things.
The pilot episode of The Walking Dead dealt with Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) waking up from his coma to a world that has fallen apart. Rick found that reanimated corpses, which he and everyone in his group referred to as "walkers", now roam the entire region, and as far as they know, the outbreak happened everywhere. Fear the Walking Dead showed a different side of the outbreak, by showing it actually happen, whereas the main show takes place in the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse. Though Fear the Walking Dead dealt more extensively with the beginnings of the outbreak, it, too, ignored the virus' origin.
Since the beginning of The Walking Dead, fans have wondered what caused the zombie apocalypse in the first place, even if it didn't seem to matter as much to the characters themselves. Robert Kirkman has, of course, been asked this question numerous times, but has - until now - avoided providing a serious answer. In 2018, Kirkman jokingly tied it to Breaking Bad. Though it was never mentioned, it's been known for years that there is an explanation, but it was understood that Kirkman had no intention of revealing it. Kirkman even admitted that he told his daughter the truth about the outbreak, and now, he seems to have revealed it publicly as well.
Walking Dead's Zombie Outbreak Was Caused By a Space Spore
On Twitter, a fan asked Kirkman asked if he could confirm how the outbreak started, since the comic book series is over and this mystery was never solved. Kirkman's two-word response was, "space spore". This could be taken as a joke, but Kirkman teased in the past that he could reveal it casually in an interview after The Walking Dead was over, so it's not too hard to believe that he would randomly drop this information in a response to a tweet.
The reveal that a space spore caused it all means that the virus is alien in origin. Somehow, some sort of alien spore from a distant planet must have found its way into Earth's atmosphere, or was perhaps discovered by scientists or a space probe who brought it back to Earth. All it may have taken was for one person to be exposed.
The alien connection is something that Kirkman actually used in an alternate "gag" ending for The Walking Dead #75, which saw aliens invade the planet after weakening it with the worldwide spread of the zombie virus. Alien invasions in The Walking Dead is a bit of a recurring joke. Also, the space spore explanation's connection to aliens is also in line with what Kirkman has said in the past. Kirkman said that the cause was a "crazy sci-fi thing" that would have made the story "all that much weirder" if it were ever explored on the show or in the comic. A space spore certainly fits that bill.
What The Space Spore Means For The Walking Dead TV Show
Assuming that the comment from Kirkman pertains to both the comic book and the TV show, there's a question of what this means for the series. Essentially, it doesn't mean anything. Just as Kirkman has reiterated on several occasions, it's not important in the grand scheme of things and will likely never be addressed in canon. It's the very reason why Kirkman has always made it a point to avoid the subject. The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead have always been less concerned with how the zombie apocalypse happened, and more concerned with what to do next. In reality, this approach makes sense.
Knowing where the zombies came from wouldn't make any difference to the story, because there's nothing that can be done about it. This would have no impact on any of the characters, or their arcs in the show. The Walking Dead is a series about people struggling to survive in the zombie apocalypse, and not about people trying to investigate and cure the virus. This has never been the point of the series. However, if the space spore origin were to be incorporated into either show, it could eventually lead to a potential cure. The Walking Dead comics are over, but that doesn't mean the TV show universe has to end the same way. It could theoretically end with a cure.
Walking Dead's Zombie Outbreak Is A Bad Explanation
Knowing the truth behind the origin of the virus further explains why The Walking Dead never bothered to explore the cause of the outbreak. Not only does the cause not matter, but it's also not a very compelling explanation. The Walking Dead has always been meant to feel like a grounded series that shows what would happen if a zombie virus actually did happen in real life. Throwing aliens into the mix unnecessarily gives the show much stronger, out-of-place elements of science fiction that unfortunately take away from its realistic, grounded feel. Furthermore, it opens up several more questions about the zombie virus as well as where the space spore came from.
A space spore is a disappointing explanation for the catastrophic event that set off the Walking Dead universe, but could there have been a better way to explain it? Some have theorized that it was a virus created as a weapon by the military, which was accidentally released. This would have worked with the tone of the show, but it wouldn't have been very unique or original, so this, too, wouldn't have been a satisfactory explanation. These problems reinforce Kirkman's previous decision to not to dive into the origin of the virus. If Robert Kikman is being serious about an alien spore being the catalyst for the zombie outbreak, then it's easy to see why this has been such a well-kept secret. Perhaps this is one mystery that should have gone unsolved.