Melissa McBride Out of ‘The Walking Dead’ Spinoff

As the original The Walking Dead series nears its final episodes, many fans are looking forward to the planned series starring Daryl and Carol. Sadly, that series will no longer feature original cast member Melissa McBride.

Per TVLine, reasons for the change are unconfirmed, though an AMC rep says “Relocating to Europe became logistically untenable for Melissa at this time. We know fans will be disappointed by this news, but The Walking Dead Universe continues to grow and expand in interesting ways and we very much hope to see Carol again in the near future.”

As the series’ only remaining original cast members, Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride are fixtures for The Walking Dead fans, making this departure even harder for those who have been excited to see more of their characters in the upcoming spinoff.

The current plan is for the new show to focus more exclusively on Daryl, with no mention of any plans to recast Carol. This may be a hopeful sign that McBride will step into the role again if her character does get a chance to make a future appearance.

AMC also acknowledges her importance to the world created by the series, saying “Melissa McBride has given life to one of the most interesting, real, human and popular characters in The Walking Dead Universe.” It’s a sentiment much of the show’s audience is sure to agree with.

In a statement before this development, series creator Angela Kang said “It’s bittersweet to bring [the flagship series] to an end[…]but I could not be more excited to be working with Scott Gimple and AMC to develop a new series for Daryl and Carol. Working with Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride has been a highlight of my career, and I’m thrilled that we get to keep telling stories together.”

The Walking Dead fans, were you planning to watch more of Daryl and Carol—and has this news changed those plans? Sound off in the comments!

Caitlin Wyneken

Caitlin is an elder millennial with an only slightly unhealthy dedication to a random selection of TV shows, from PBS Masterpiece dramas to some of the less popular series on popular networks. Outside of screen time, she's dedicated to the public sector and worthy nonprofits, working to make a difference in the world outside of media.