‘The Walking Dead’ Animated Series Isn’t Happening Anytime Soon

April 15, 2024

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The Big Picture

Robert Kirkman hopes for a faithful animated adaptation of
The Walking Dead,
but faces hurdles due to AMC’s success.
Fans crave an animated retelling of the comic series to correct mistakes and bring key moments to a mass audience.
The live-action series deviated from the source material, leaving out important scenes and characterizations.

If comic book writer Robert Kirkman, had his way, fans would be getting a faithful animated adaptation of The Walking Dead. However, per comicbook.com, there is one significant hurdle in getting this project off the ground. The all-encompassing popularity of The Walking Dead’s extended universe. Since its premiere in 2010, The Walking Dead has captivated the world as Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) strives to keep going in the face of a zombie apocalypse. The flagship series spawned multiple spin-offs, and Lincoln returned to the role years after he hung up his sheriff’s hat. The post-apocalyptic series has been a monumental success for AMC, which is exactly what is holding up getting a true adaptation of the books.

“I’d love to see it happen someday, but I don’t think it’ll be possible until I get the rights back from AMC,” Kirkman wrote in a column of “The Walking Dead Deluxe #85.” Unfortunately, as long as the network is profiting, it’s unclear exactly when the rights would revert to Kirkman. Currently, there are two spin-offs with original cast members: Dead City and Daryl Dixon. The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live just concluded, and was an emotional return to form for many who had been waiting to see Rick and Michonne (Danai Gurira) reunite. As it turns out, Kirkman’s success with live-action adaptations has been a double-edged sword.

‘The Walking Dead’ Animated Series Could Address Criticisms of the Live-Action Series

Already, The Walking Dead has many adaptations, but an animated retelling of the comic would satisfy fans. As beloved as the live-action series is, the AMC show did not adapt the book word for word. Huge moments, like the death of Glenn (Steven Yeun), The Walking Dead’s best character, traumatized fans. Other comic scenes and characterizations, however, were left by the wayside. Rick, in particular, is largely a different character and loses his hand as early as the confrontation with the Governor. Andrea not only survives until the final issues of the comic but is a valued member of the group, ultimately becoming Rick’s wife. Carl doesn’t die, but Judith does.

Faithfully adapting the comic would be a way to bring these moments to a mass audience. And for some, correcting unforgivable mistakes. Carl’s (Chandler Riggs) death is one of the most maligned moments and for good reason. Carl represents the perseverance of the human spirit. Though he has some setbacks, he retains his humanity and eventually takes over for Rick as the community leader. Killing Carl off was a devastating mistake that the series never quite recovered from. Bringing him back to the land of the living in a different medium would be a salve for a terrible wound. There is no telling when this series will come to life, but until then, viewers can experience the best moments of the AMC series by streaming all 11 seasons on Netflix.