The Walking Dead's Forgotten Spinoff Is The Best Way Dead Characters Like Glenn, Carl & Sasha Can Return

The Walking Dead has been without some of its most popular survivors for several years, but a forgotten spinoff show has presented the perfect way to bring back the dead. Given the nature of the series, numerous fan favorites had to be killed off in order to keep fans guessing while maintaining a level of jeopardy, leading to countless characters dying before viewers were ready to say goodbye. As a result, some of The Walking Dead's most haunting deaths remain contentious topics to this day, with fans questioning what it would be like if certain survivors were still around.

Unfortunately, the only way to come back from the dead in this franchise is as a zombie, but that doesn't mean all hope is lost for some major returns. We've already seen a few veteran actors make cameos through flashbacks and dream sequences after their characters were killed, but there is an even better option to bring back these iconic names. While many of The Walking Dead's recent spinoffs have improved upon the main show, Tales of the Walking Dead has been almost completely forgotten about, yet it's the perfect way to explore these exciting returns without retconning the story.

Scott M. Gimple Hinted At Tales of the Walking Dead Exploring “Past Characters”

The Chief Content Creator Alluded To The Idea Of Familiar Faces Making A Return In The Spinoff Show

Despite debuting as recently as 2022, Tales of the Walking Dead feels like it has been left behind in this current era of the franchise, but Scott M. Gimple just made it more important than ever. After receiving a mixed reception, it was unclear if the series would be renewed, but as part of The Walking Dead's upcoming spinoff shows, More Tales from the TWDU was announced. It appears as though this will be an even smaller version of the original anthology series, but the franchise has a reason to bring Tales of TWD for a proper second season.

In an interview with The Direct, Scott Gimple claimed "I really want to see more of the characters from the past and I know the audience does too." While this comment can be interpreted in many ways, there are only a handful of previous survivors who exited the series without dying, meaning the spinoff show could focus on deceased characters before they were killed. Considering the anthology nature of the show, it would be extremely simple to bring back actors for a one-off appearance, so that they could reprise their popular roles.

Even if this wasn't Gimple's intent, it feels like a strong idea that is far too good to pass up. While bringing back actors like Sonequa Martin-Green or Steven Yeun for a full spinoff series would be unrealistic and a little unnecessary, having them feature in a single episode would provide some nostalgia for fans without feeling too out of place. Therefore, Gimple's idea of exploring past characters feels perfectly suited to Tales of the Walking Dead, and the franchise shouldn't waste such a great concept.

Bringing Back Former Characters Is The Best Way To Make Tales of the Walking Dead More Relevant

In Its Current State, Tales of the Walking Dead Feels Completely Disjointed From The Rest Of The Franchise

Although Tales of the Walking Dead has an interesting concept, the show debuted far too late for audiences to be truly invested, but returning characters could help make it more relevant. Had the spinoff been released while The Walking Dead was at its peak, people may have gravitated towards the series like they did when Fear the Walking Dead first aired. However, premiering just a few months before the main series meant a large chunk of the audience had tuned out, and many of those who were still watching didn't feel the need for another new project.

Unfortunately, this has led to viewers feeling fairly apathetic towards Tales of the Walking Dead, which is why the returning character idea sounds so appealing. The Ones Who Live found major streaming success on Netflix and AMC because old fans likely wanted to see Rick and Michonne having stopped watching before or just after their departure. Therefore, a show dedicated to these popular survivors managed to bring some of them back while keeping newer fans interested, and Tales of the Walking Dead could potentially do the same.

It would also be an easy way for fans who aren't in tune with the current storylines to jump back in and enjoy some old favorites without having to catch up on hours of content. As of now, Tales of the Walking Dead feels far too detached from the rest of the universe and is only really appealing to hardcore fans. However, bringing the likes of Shane, Carl, and Beth back might be enough for people to at least check the series out, making it a worthwhile investment.

Which Characters Would Work Best For A Tales of the Walking Dead Episode?

Exploring Old Origin Stories Could Allow Some Fan Favorites To Return

While it would be great to see Chandler Riggs, Sarah Wayne Callis, and Jon Bernthal reprise their roles and explore more about the beginning of the apocalypse, Riggs had aged far too much, and it would be hard to replicate that early feel. That said, some origin stories would still work perfectly. While we learned a fair bit about Abraham, Rosita, and Eugene's backstory, exploring their early days before they met Rick's group would be a fascinating prospect, and given Michael Cudlitz and Christian Serratos are no longer part of the franchise, it would be a fitting send-off.

Likewise, Sasha and Tyrese also have plenty of untapped potential and an origin story surrounding them could also be fun. Jadis and Gabriel were originally solo survivors for a while and have a unique history with the franchise, so an episode on them individually would work, as would their time together, which The Ones Who Live briefly covered. Bringing back someone like Heath would also offer a lot of closure for fans still awaiting the resolution to his mysterious story, while an adventure with Michael Rooker's Merle could also be interesting.

While we know what happened to Merle after being abandoned in season 1, it would be cool to get a more detailed depiction of his escape from the rooftop and see how he joined Woodbury. Overall, despite many of The Walking Dead's cast joining the MCU and finding success in other major franchises, a single one-off appearance wouldn't be out of the question, and there are so many great characters that could make compelling returns, making this fascinating Tales of the Walking Dead concept more appealing than ever.