What Next for Norman Reedus After the Walking Dead Wraps?
By Space Coast Daily // July 22, 2022
Norman Reedus was virtually unknown before he joined The Walking Dead as one of the original cast members in 2010. Now, the 53-year-old could be considered one of the most famous and recognizable Florida-born actors on the planet.
The Walking Dead has been a cultural revelation, but it’s set to end this year. As one of the most popular actors in the show, Reedus is likely to be in high demand after he finishes playing Daryl Dixon on the AMC series.
The Walking Dead Brought Zombies Into the Mainstream
Prior to The Walking Dead, there had been a lot of zombie-themed content in the entertainment industry over the years. However, there were few movies or series that had been at the forefront of the mainstream. The series based on Robert Kirkman’s comics served to popularize zombies on a wide scale, and this is reflected through the sheer amount of undead content in other areas of entertainment.
The gaming industry is probably the best place to witness the incredible effect of The Walking Dead. There are now countless zombie games available, with many of these aimed at mobile audiences. For example, on portable devices, there are titles like Plants vs. Zombies, Dead Trigger, and Last Day on Earth: Survival.
The online casino sector is also awash with zombie titles, such as Zombie FC and Zombie Rush Deluxe. Both can be played by people who enjoy real money online casino Canada sites, where there are a large range of slots to choose from. These include other titles that were inspired by television series as well, with Vikings’ Victory influenced by Vikings and A Pirate Quest drawing inspiration from Black Sails.
Reedus May Star in His Own Spinoff Series
There has been a lot of talk that Reedus will get his own spinoff series after The Walking Dead finishes, as AMC plans to continue expanding the franchise as much as possible. Originally, it was intended that Melissa McBride would be involved as well, but it was recently announced that the actor who plays Carol Peltier has dropped out of the project.
It may be a wiser career move for Reedus to part company with his Walking Dead character now to pursue other ventures. After playing Dixon for eleven seasons, there’s no doubt that he’s recognized by many people because of that role. If he wants to pick up other parts, he may need to show more diversity in his skillset.
Could Turn his Attention to Cinema
Reedus has made various appearances in movies over the years, with his most notable role as Murphy MacManus in The Boondock Saints and The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day. Aside from those pictures, he has rarely taken on the main role in a film, and this is something that the Florida star may want to rectify.
The Walking Dead opened opportunities for other actors to gain more attention on the big screen. For example, Michael Rooker played Merle Dixon in the AMC series and then went on to star in the Guardians of the Galaxy and Fast & Furious franchises. Jon Bernthal played Shane Walsh on the Walking Dead in the first two seasons and then went on to star in films like The Wolf of Wall Street, Sicario, and The Many Saints of Newark.
Walking Dead fans will be sad to say goodbye to one of their favorite characters, but it may be time for Reedus to take on other projects. The AMC franchise feels as though it is getting stale now, and any future spinoffs are at risk of retreading the same ground.
