TWD's Greg Nicotero Reveals If Daryl Dixon Season 3 Will Finally Introduce Rick's Forgotten Family Member

   

Daryl wearing a face covering riding a motorcycle in Spain in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3's trailer.

The Walking Dead's Greg Nicotero reveals if The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3 will introduce Rick's forgotten family member from the comics. Daryl Dixon season 3 will see Daryl and Carol surviving in Spain. While they'll encounter new faces, the country was also featured in The Walking Dead: The Alien, a spinoff comic focused on Jeffrey Grimes, Rick's brother.

In an interview with ScreenRant's Ash Crossan during San Diego Comic-Con, Nicotero revealed Rick's brother had been talked about while developing Daryl Dixon season 3. However, the executive producer explained there hasn't "been any real interest" in seeing him appear yet. However, he doesn't rule out the possibility in the future. Check out what Nicotero had to say below:

Ash Crossan: The Walking Dead Universe is vast, and I feel like honestly a staple of Comic-Con, like every elevator I've gotten in for the last 13 years, there's a walker in there. But there is a comic that talks about Rick's brother and he's in Spain. Have you thought about where he's at and whether that could ever happen?

Greg Nicotero: It has come up in discussions. I think that the intention always was to keep Daryl sort of pure, while still sort of alluding to the other people that are out there every once in a while, like with Carol, when we brought Carol in on season 2. But I don't believe that there's been any real interest in that as of yet. But you never know. I mean, like you said, The Walking Dead universe is vast, and I think the goal really is to continue to explore it, but you always need to keep those threads alive.

 

What Nicotero's Statement Means For Jeffrey Grimes In Daryl Dixon Season 3

Jeffrey Grimes Won't Be Making An Appearance

Daryl Dixon On The Beach In The Walking Dead Daryl Dixon next to Jeffrey Grimes in The Walking Dead The Alien

The cast of Daryl Dixon will be featuring plenty of newcomers in season 3, including Eduardo Noriega, Óscar Jaenada, and Alexandra Masangkay in major roles. While the exact story of season 3 hasn't been revealed just yet, all three are going to have key roles to play in whatever survival adventure Daryl and Carol are thrust into next.

However, Nicotero's statement seems to close the door on Jeffrey Grimes getting added to the series for now. While it was seemingly considered, it appears the current focus will be on Daryl's adventures being uniquely his own. Luckily, this doesn't mean Rick's brother won't appear at some later point in the franchise. Though how much later remains uncertain.

 

As of writing, Rick has never mentioned Jeffrey in the TV series. While he's canon to the comics, his absence from the show throughout its entire run means there's no guarantee that he will show up. For now, it seems the end of The Ones Who Live will be the last time the Grimes family appears for a while.

 

Our Take On Daryl Dixon Season 3 Not Including Jeffrey Grimes

The Main Storyline Will Have An Independent Plot

Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon holding a knife in The Walking Dead season 11

Given Jeffrey Grimes won't be showing up in Daryl Dixon season 3, it sounds like the show is going to be pursuing its own path with an original storyline. Although it's still unclear what exactly to expect from the upcoming episodes, they do promise an adventure that doesn't need to be tied to the franchise's past.

Even so, it would still be exciting to see Jeffrey appear at some point in the future, whether in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon or some other capacity. Since Nicotero didn't rule it out completely, he's a character the franchise could keep in its back pocket for now until a notable enough story arrives that he can contribute to.

Upcoming Seasons Of The Walking Dead Franchise

Release Dates

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3

September 7, 2025

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 4

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The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3

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