The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2 Cast & Character Guide

The Walking Dead: Dead City is finally returning for its second nearly two years after the show first premiered, and the cast is looking better than ever. Alongside maintaining its biggest names, such as the leading duo of Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, the series has picked up some exciting fresh faces that will add plenty of drama and tension to the power struggle in New York. While the spinoff's first outing was fairly divisive, it reviewed pretty well overall, and Dead City season 1's ending also set up an interesting new dynamic with Negan still in Manhattan.

Whether Maggie and Negan will end their prolonged Walking Dead feud or not in season 2 is yet to be seen, but with Jeffrey Dean Morgan's character seemingly returning to his evil ways, emotions will be high. That said, the trailer did tease the possibility of the protagonists teaming up once again, suggesting Negan may just be putting on an act as he attempts to escape the city. Regardless of his intentions, he and Maggie look set to face some familiar foes from season 1, while Kim Coates and Dacha Polanco's characters could present some dangerous new problems to overcome.

Lauren Cohan as Maggie Rhee

Date of Birth: January 7, 1982

• Active Since: 2005

Actor: Born in New Jersey, Lauren Cohan moved to England when she was 13 before starting her acting career 10 years later. She made her debut in 2005's Casanova and got her big break shortly after when she joined the cast of Supernatural. This led to her securing numerous roles before she eventually jumped onboard AMC's The Walking Dead, and her part as Maggie remains the most prolific role of Cohan's career. She has even dipped her toes in the superhero world, appearing in projects like Invincible, Catwoman: Hunted, and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Character: Maggie Rhee has been one of the most important survivors in The Walking Dead for over a decade, and Cohan will continue playing the character in Dead City season 2. Maggie has appeared in some of The Walking Dead's best episodes, hence getting her own spinoff alongside Negan, where she will remain one of the two lead characters. She is a stubborn, loyal, and fearless leader who has plenty of love for her community as well as her son, and she has killed countless people in order to keep her loved ones safe.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan Smith

Date of Birth: April 22, 1966

• Active Since: 1991

Actor: Having begun his acting career over three decades ago, Jeffrey Dean Morgan is one of the biggest names involved in Dead City. Born in Seattle, Washington, Morgan has been involved in numerous well-known projects, winning several awards for his performance in The Walking Dead franchise. While Negan is arguably his most popular character, JDM's best TV shows and movies include some huge projects, like Supernatural, The Boys, Invincible, and more. He is full of charisma and loves playing a villain, but also has the range to pull off several nuanced characters that have given him such a great career.

Character: Negan is arguably The Walking Dead's greatest villain, as the former Saviors leader shocked viewers with his violent and intimidating introduction. While most loved Morgan's performance, Negan continues to divide viewers, as some adore his humorous, unfiltered nature, while others hate it. Since being defeated in season 8, Negan has turned a corner and plays a more noble and selfless role in Dead City, despite maintaining his sarcastic personality. However, season 2 indicates some of his darker qualities could be returning, but regardless of where his journey goes, he will continue to be one of the show's main protagonists.

Logan Kim as Hershel Rhee

Date of Birth: March 7, 2007

• Active Since: 2020

Actor: Logan Kim is one of the youngest actors involved in The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2, but he will still play a huge role. Born in Dallas, Texas, Kim began acting in 2020 and quickly got cast in a huge cinematic franchise - Ghostbusters. He has appeared in 2021's Ghostbusters: Afterlife as well as the 2024 follow-up, Frozen Empire. Having joined Dead City in 2023, Kim's season 1 role was relatively small, but he will have a much bigger part in season 2 as his career continues to grow, making him one of the industry's fastest-rising stars.

Character: Hershel Rhee is the son of Maggie and Glenn, who was originally played by a range of different actors in the main series. Kien Michael Spiller was the most recognizable face for the character, but Logan Kim has since taken over as Dead City takes place several years after the main show. This older version of the character is much more rebellious and argumentative, but given Hershel will be a main character in Dead City season 2, it grants him the perfect opportunity to show a deeper side of his personality and become more important to the overall story.

Gaius Charles as Perlie Armstrong

Date of Birth: May 2, 1983

• Active Since: 2006

Actor: Born in Manhattan, New York, Charles is a bit of a veteran in the acting scene and has been part of all kinds of projects. Alongside his tenure in Dead City, Charles has been involved in several long-running TV shows such as Grey's Anatomy and Friday Night Lights, while also featuring in various feature-length films. In addition, Charles has also tried his hand at directing and producing, making him a very experienced and versatile figure to have on board The Walking Dead spinoff.

Character: Although he wasn't part of the original Walking Dead show, Perlie Armstrong quickly became an important character in Dead City season 1. As part of the New Babylon Federation, Perlie was sent to track down Negan and bring him to justice, something he failed to do. Unlike the rest of New Babylon's marshals, Perlie is much more reasonable and level-headed, understanding that his faction's ways of upholding the law are flawed, hence why he lets Negan live. His calm nature and competent combat skills make him a valuable ally; however, his New Babylon connections make him difficult to fully trust.

Mahina Napoleon as Ginny

Date of Birth: November 2, 2010

• Active Since: 2021

Actor: Mahina Napoleon is by far the newest actor when it comes to Dead City season 2's main cast, but she has more than held her own in the show so far. Born in Kaneohe, Hawaii, Napoleon also has Filipino and Irish heritage, as well as connections to various places throughout Europe and the UK. Although she has only appeared in one show before joining Dead City - NCIS: Hawai'i, Napoleon has been performing in musicals since the age of four and seems to have a big career ahead.

Character: Not much is known about Ginny's background other than that Negan killed her father, which left her traumatized. As a result, she didn't speak for the majority of season 1 and opted to live with Negan, who felt guilty about taking away her only remaining family. Despite her lack of communication, Ginny is still fairly capable and extremely brave, as evidenced by her leaving the Bricks and traveling to Manhattan on her own. Now that she has finally learned to open up, Ginny's return in Dead City season 2 should offer more insight into her personality and motivations.

Željko Ivanek as The Croat

Date of Birth: August 15, 1957

• Active Since: 1981

Actor: Željko Ivanek's performance as the Croat was one of the most captivating parts of Dead City's first season, but it was far from his first rodeo in the acting scene. Born in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Ivanek spent two years in California as a child before returning to the US in 1967, where he eventually studied theater at Yale University. From here, Ivanek became one of the most reliable actors in the industry as he has been credited with over 100 professional appearances according to IMDb, and Dead City season 2 could cement the Croat as one of his best career performances.

Character: Despite not appearing in the original Walking Dead series, the Croat was once a high-ranking Saviors member before being kicked out by Negan, who shot the Croat's ear off in an attempted assassination due to the latter's sadistic personality. While he no longer does Negan's bidding, he now takes orders from the Dama, as the duo leads a dangerous New York faction known as the Burazi. Although he has a menacing reputation himself, the Croat still admires Negan and looks up to him despite their past, but he remains an unpredictable wildcard who still possesses evil intentions.

Lisa Emery as The Dama

Date of Birth: January 29, 1952

• Active Since: 1985

Actor: Best known for her role in Ozark, Lisa Emery was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and has been in and around the acting world for a long time. While her role as Darlene Snell got her nominated for numerous awards, Emery was part of various high-profile projects before then, such as Jessica Jones and Law & Order. Therefore, her successful career makes her the perfect fit to join AMC's zombie universe, as her wealth of experience sets up a fascinating villain role heading into The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2.

Character: She may have been the one pulling the strings in Dead City season 1, but the Dama only made a handful of appearances, leaving much about the character unknown. While she is clearly a cunning and manipulative leader, the Dama seems aware of her own limitations, hence recruiting Negan to help with her control over Manhattan. Given some key aspects of her plan were revealed in season 1's conclusion, she will presumably have a much bigger role in the upcoming installment, where she could potentially secure herself as one of the franchise's best villains.

The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2 Supporting Cast

Kim Coates as Bruegel: Perhaps the most exciting addition to Dead City season 2's cast, Kim Coates will make his Walking Dead debut as Bruegel. With American Primeval raising Coates' stock ahead of Dead City, his upcoming role looks extremely exciting, as his character has been described by the actor as a gang leader who is smart, but also a bad person. Based on his roles in Sons of Anarchy and Bad Blood, it's clear Coates can play morally complex characters, and seeing him as a straight-up antagonist should be a lot of fun.

Dascha Polanco as Lucia Narvaez: Polanco is another new addition to Dead City season 2, as she is set to portray Lucia Narvaez, a marshal for the New Babylon Federation. Not much is known about her character, but assuming Lucia embraces her role like most of the other marshals, she will likely be an antagonist in the series. Regardless of what sort of role she takes on, Polanco's involvement in major projects such as Orange is the New Black, DC League of Super-Pets, Poker Face, and The Irishman means she has all the experience necessary to deliver a compelling performance.

Jake Weary as Christos: With Dead City season 2's trailer seemingly introducing a number of new factions to Manhattan, Jake Weary's Christos looks to be the leader of one of these gangs. Based on the limited footage, his group seems to wear unique armor and won't get along particularly well with Negan. Like the show's other new additions, Weary is no stranger to the acting scene, having been around since the early 2000s, and his parts in the likes of It Follows and Pretty Little Liars indicate that he will be entertaining to watch.

Keir Gilchrist as Benjamin Pierce: Little is known about Keir Gilchrist's Dead City character, but Benjamin Pierce seems like he will be part of the New Babylon Federation, although he doesn't appear to be a marshal. Despite being in his early 30s, Gilchrist has been acting for over two decades and has featured in shows like Love & Death alongside movies such as It Follows.

Jasmin Walker as Charlie Byrd: Having briefly appeared in season 1, Jasmin Walker is set to reprise her role as Charlie Byrd in The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2. She is the Governor of New Babylon and seems to have a relatively ruthless outlook on upholding the law, meaning Charlie will likely be a major antagonist going forward. Alongside her strong TV career, Walker has been involved in several voice roles in video games such as Gotham Knights and Red Dead Redemption 2, with her profile looking destined to grow after The Walking Dead spinoff's second season.