‘The Walking Dead’ Finale Update: Show May Not End With Commonwealth Story Arc

KEY POINTS

AMC’s “The Walking Dead” might go beyond its source material, creator Robert Kirkman hinted
“The Walking Dead” comics by Kirkman ended with a time-jump focusing on Carl and his family
The drama, however, could focus on older Eugene and Judge Michonne if it goes beyond the comic books

“The Walking Dead” TV series might go beyond the comic book series it was based on, creator Robert Kirkman has hinted.

Kirkman’s comics ended with the Commonwealth story arc, with almost 50,000 survivors living in different settlements. The AMC series, however, may go beyond its source material as “there’s a lot of implied story in the final issue,” Kirkman said in a recent Q&A with Hey Fandom! (via Digital Spy).

The comics ended with issue #193. It featured a time-jump of about 10 years, with the world no longer seeing walkers as a major threat. Civilization has largely been restored, and Carl and Sophia are living together with their daughter, Andrea. The story ends with Carl reading his daughter a story about how his father saved the world.

In the AMC series, both Carl (Chandler Riggs) and Sophie (Madison Lintz) are dead, and it’s safe to assume that “The Walking Dead” TV show will take a different route.

“[If the show ever] gets to that point in the comic book series, and we decide to continue past that point, I’m kind of excited about the idea of telling a little bit more with older Eugene and Judge Michonne and the different things that were in the comic series that could have gone on, and we could have done more with,” Kirkman said.

Over the weekend, Kirkman also touched on the Rick Grimes movie and revealed that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic was making the movie “better.”

During a chat at the virtual Skybound Xpo panel, the 41-year-old said that they weren’t waiting around for the pandemic to end.

“I would say that, if anything, the pandemic is going to make a lot of movies better,” the 41-year-old comic book writer said, adding, “I think the Rick Grimes movie chief among them, just because we’re getting a lot more time to cook this thing and make sure it’s perfect. But when things do quiet down, you guys are going to hear a ton more about this movie.”

The Rick Grimes movie will be a trilogy and will feature Andrew Lincoln in the lead role. Lincoln’s Rick left the AMC drama in Season 9, and his adventures will be captured in the trilogy. He will be joined by Michonne (Danai Gurira).

“The Walking Dead” is currently on its 10th Season. “The Walking Dead” Season 10 finale will air later this year.