Several trailers and some major announcements for The Walking Dead and its spinoff series were presented during Comic-Con in San Diego.
The flagship series, which returns on October 6, 2019, debuted a four-minute trailer for season ten. It sets up the next battle with the Whisperers and plenty of footage from a new beach-based setting. There’s also conflict within the community regarding how to handle the Whisperers after their brutal attack that ended season nine. Among the most notable moments in the trailer is that Negan is seen outside in the open and will presumably join the group in their fight with the Whisperers.
The biggest piece of news that came out of the panel is that Danai Gurira, who portrays Michonne, will be leaving the show. During the panel, an emotional Gurira said how much of a joy the show has been for her and how thankful she is for the opportunity. Showrunner Angela Kang reassured audiences that they are treating the end of her character arc with the utmost care.
Along with news on the show, they briefly discussed the Rick Grimes movie. The untitled project was teased with a 24-second trailer that sees a helicopter flying to a city skyline. The teaser ends with the message “Rick Grimes Returns, Only in theaters,” which confirms rumors that the Rick-led movie would be a theatrical production rather than a TV movie.
Robert Kirkman was part of the panel to discuss the shows and address the end of the comic. He said that the comic was Rick and Carl’s story and has come to a natural ending. Kirkman pointed out that the shows are about the wider world and that he’s working with showrunners to explore stories from the comic that haven’t been used or detailed in the show.
Fear the Walking Dead’s major announcement is that the show has been renewed for a sixth season. Panel goers were treated to a trailer for the remainder of season five, which is shown through a documentary of their exploits and on-camera confessions. Fear aired its latest episode on July 21 and is set to be on a short hiatus until August 11.
The panel also provided some details on the third scripted series, which will feature young adults who’ve only ever known the zombie apocalypse. But, these kids grew up in a walled community so they know how to kill walkers, they’ve just never had to do it. A larger preview of the new show will air on July 29.
