The Walking Dead Season 11 Poster

Quite like the subjects at the center of its story, it seems that The Walking Dead franchise will never die. And, Scott Gimple plans to keep it that way. Having served as an executive producer and showrunner during the flagship series’ lengthy run, Gimple is incredibly close to the universe and has gone on to spearhead several of its spin-offs. Despite the original show tapping out after a successful 11-season run back in 2022, the name continues to dominate the charts over at AMC. That’s because, almost immediately following the reveal that the series was coming to an end, it was also announced that three separate off-shoots would be going into production. Each of the titles — The Walking Dead: Dead City, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, and The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live — followed beloved characters, with audiences eager to tune in for their next chapter. Now, with Dead City heading into its second season and Daryl Dixon filming its third, the franchise continues to live on.

And, if he has it his way, Gimple says The Walking Dead will never take that eternal dirt nap. Stepping in front of the microphone at the Saturn Awards’ press room and fielding a Q&A, at which Collider’s Aidan Kelley was in attendance, Gimple shared his hope about where the tale of the undead would go next. Explaining how the comics’ creator, Robert Kirkman, envisioned the project when he first got it up and running, Gimple said:

“Robert Kirkman, when he initially pitched the comic to Image, it was a zombie movie that would never end. He would always see it in zombie movies and be like, ‘Wait, what happens after that?’ And it was a brilliant idea and then Robert’s own brilliance of character and novelty, incredible dialogue, it hooked me as a comic creator and even though I was working on the show when this happened, when he stopped the comic, I was bummed out because I wanted that zombie movie that never ends so we’re picking up the torch, and we’re trying to do that.”

Character Development Lies at the Heart of ‘The Walking Dead’

Norman Reedus as Daryl holding a rifle against a wall in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 2 The cast of Fear of The Walking Dead Series staring forward and standing with intimidation. Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes and Danai Gurira as Michonne kissing in the forest Pollyanna McIntosh as Jadis wielding a weapon in The Walking Dead: World Beyond Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) taks Carl (Chandler Riggs) on a tour of Sanctuary in 'The Walking Dead' Norman Reedus as Daryl holding a rifle against a wall in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Season 2 The cast of Fear of The Walking Dead Series staring forward and standing with intimidation. Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes and Danai Gurira as Michonne kissing in the forest Pollyanna McIntosh as Jadis wielding a weapon in The Walking Dead: World Beyond Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) taks Carl (Chandler Riggs) on a tour of Sanctuary in 'The Walking Dead'

Over its more than a decade on air and multiple spin-offs, The Walking Dead has continued to pull audiences in. Sure, there’s the horror aspect and the obsession with a zombie apocalypse, but even deeper than that, it’s the wonderful characters tossed into the chaotic universe that keeps viewers coming back for more. Speaking to that very important key piece of the puzzle, Gimple added:

“It’s hard in a world where there’s a billion TV shows, but yes, the goal is to always have Walking Dead shows on the air and to have those shows that feature the characters people love and then take those chances and be experimental and do new things with other shows.”

The Walking Dead is now streaming on AMC+.