There’s no other Walking Dead character quite like Daryl Dixon.
That may seem rather obvious, considering he was one of the few created specifically for AMC’s TV drama, but it’s fair to say that, ever since he sauntered onto the screen nine years ago, Norman Reedus’ character has gone from Merle’s moody and equally aggressive younger brother to a bona fide fan-favorite, even standing toe-to-toe with Andrew Lincoln at the forefront of The Walking Dead.
Indeed, one need only look to Reedus’ record-setting deal for evidence of that evolution, but ahead of The Walking Dead season 9B making its premiere this weekend, the actor spoke candidly to Entertainment Weekly about Daryl Dixon and, in particular, what lies ahead.
Daryl sort of exiled himself after the horrible thing happened with Rick. He’s been out in the woods looking for a body. He won’t give up. That’s just who he is. He was like that with Sophia, when she was lost. He’s just the type of guy that… he needs proof. He needs some closure. He needs to figure it out. He’s been put on this mission to bring Henry to Hilltop. When he gets there, all hell’s breaking loose. There’s a knock at the door. We’re kind of called out, and no one’s really stepping up. Daryl’s like, ‘Screw it. I’ll go do it.’ He ends up in a situation where he kind of has to man up.
With Rick Grimes ostensibly out of the picture – save for AMC’s movie trilogy, in which Andrew Lincoln is expected to reprise his famous role later this year – Daryl Dixon will surely come into his own, and while he refused to be drawn about his own possible involvement in the Rick Grimes movies, Norman Reedus went on to speak about delivering closure for Daryl and his global fanbase.
I’ve always said Daryl’s not the type of guy that’s going to build a soapbox and get up and give inspirational speeches to large groups of people. That’s just not who he is. He’s an observer. He listens and he figures out a way to cut that distance in half. He’s a no-bullsh— guy. All of a sudden, all of these things have happened. We’ve lost Jesus. We’re bringing Jesus back. You kind of have a glimpse into the world of the Whisperers a little bit through this back door. He’s trying to figure things out.
The Walking Dead season 9 returns this Sunday with the super-sized “Adaptation.” And with season 10 already on the cards, it’s looking increasingly likely that AMC’s zombie drama will outlive us all.