Despite the immense global success of AMC’s The Walking Dead, Norman Reedus’ upcoming role in a successful $1 billion franchise could provide a strong replacement for the actor. With The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2 confirmed, Reedus will once again take on hordes of zombies as he fights for survival in the apocalypse. Reedus’ long run in the Walking Dead franchise is already impressive, considering how many fan favorites he’s outlasted, but it makes sense that, for one reason or another, the time will come when Reedus will ultimately put aside Daryl’s crossbow and motorcycle for good.

It goes without saying that Daryl’s popularity was a massive step in the actor’s career. Prior to The Walking Dead’s success, Reedus was primarily known for taking on smaller roles, something the actor has continued to excel in over the years. He would gradually gain prominence after appearances in The Boondock Saints, Blade II, and The Walking Dead, which also led to his casting in video game designer Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding, further showcasing his range. Nevertheless, Reedus’ upcoming role has the potential to not only be one of the biggest of his career, but also a strong replacement if The Walking Dead ever ends, or his story is brought to a close.

Norman Reedus’ Role In The John Wick Spinoff Could Be His Walking Dead Replacement

Reedus’ Voice Was Teased At CinemaCon

Norman Reedus will star in Ballerina opposite Ana de Armas and Keanu Reeves in the 2025 John Wick spinoff. Reedus’ still unnamed role in Ballerina could tease the actor’s future, given that his involvement could expand the series even further. One of the John Wick franchise’s greatest strengths is its ability to successfully include a plethora of actors ranging from big-name stars to underappreciated character actors, and create great characters for both. While the details surrounding Reedus’ new character are scarce, the franchise’s financial and critical track record both bode well for his career.

Although Reedus has enjoyed immense success as Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead, John Wick‘s critical plaudits and the franchise’s massive financial success indicate that Ballerina could be a new home. While The Walking Dead is a global pop-culture phenomenon, the John Wick franchise is reinventing the action movie wheel, and setting a higher bar for the genre in the process. Daryl is one of The Walking Dead‘s most beloved characters, but Reedus’ role in Ballerina could be just as good if not better, and it would be smart for the franchise to keep Reedus for as long as possible.

Why The John Wick Franchise Would Be Smart To Keep Norman Reedus Around

Reedus’ Presence Could Bring The Walking Dead Crowd To The Franchise

Reedus would bring The Walking Dead crowd to Ballerina , which could help make it the most financially successful entry in the series.

The popularity that Reedus has enjoyed from The Walking Dead would not only give the franchise broader appeal, but it could also demonstrate John Wick‘s proclivities for taking virtually any actor or actress, and giving them a character that redefines their careers. Before Reeves was cast as the titular assassin, he wasn’t primarily seen as an action star. Since the series’ success, both he and the franchise have enjoyed broader appeal. Norman Reedus would bring The Walking Dead crowd to Ballerina, which could help make it a financially successful entry in the series.

What To Expect From John Wick’s Ballerina Spinoff

New And Returning Characters Will Unite In Ballerina

The upcoming Ballerina will bring a cavalcade of new stars to the franchise including Reedus and Ana de Armas, the latter of whom will be taking over the title role as Rooney, the character originally played by Unity Phelan in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. Because the movie takes place before the events of John Wick: Chapter 4, the timeline allows many stars to return, including the late Lance Reddick in a posthumous role. Below, see a breakdown of the cast and which roles they play:

Actor
Character

Ana de Armas
Rooney

Anjelica Huston
The Director

Keanu Reeves
John Wick

Lance Reddick
Charon

Ian McShane
Winston Scott

Gabriel Byrne
TBA

Catalina Sandino Moreno
TBA

Norman Reedus
TBA

Sharon Duncan-Brewster
TBA

David Castañeda
TBA

The spinoff was not helmed by longtime John Wick director Chad Stahelski but instead by Len Wiseman, who is known for directing the first two installments of the Kate Beckinsale action-horror franchise Underworld. However, the movie recently commenced reshoots in February 2024 in an effort to add more action sequences, with the new footage being overseen by Stahelski and Wiseman working in tandem. One major result of these reshoots is that the movie was delayed by more than a year to its new release date on June 6, 2025.

Every Upcoming Norman Reedus Movie & TV Show Explained

Reedus Is A Hot Hollywood Commodity

Although the Ballerina release date delay complicated the prospect of the franchise providing Reedus with the perfect post-Daryl jumping-off point, the schedule change may have already worked out for the best. His spinoff show was already renewed for season 2, titled The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol and featuring the return of Melissa McBride as Daryl’s longtime companion Carol. However, season 3 – while it is entirely within the realm of possibility – has not yet been officially confirmed.

As such, Ballerina now being positioned after this major reunion could provide an even bigger boost for Reedus. While Daryl Dixon didn’t suffer in the ratings during season 1, this delayed reunion of two of The Walking Dead‘s most popular characters could boost season 2’s ratings even further, leading even more viewers to tune into the show and grow curious about what Reedus will be doing next. This could also benefit his projects that come after Ballerina, which can be seen below:

Title
Role

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 2 (2024)
Daryl Dixon

Ballerina (2025)
TBA

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (2025 video game)
Sam Porter Bridges

The Boondock Saints III
Murphy MacManus

The Housewife
TBA

His other upcoming titles feature the return of some of his other strongest onscreen IP. This includes his return as Sam Porter Bridges in the sequel to the 2019 Kojima Productions video game Death Stranding and his return as Murphy MacManus in the upcoming The Boondock Saints III after playing the character in both original movies in 1999 and 2009. To top things off, he will also be starring opposite Naomi Watts, Tye Sheridan, and Michael Imperioli in the post-World War II Nazi-hunting thriller The Housewife in an as-yet-unknown role.

The Housewife will be the feature directorial debut of Ben Shirinian.

While Ballerina offers Reedus his best shot yet at a big-screen blockbuster franchise, it will likely behoove the star to be seen in a variety of roles if and when Daryl Dixon goes off the air. The ongoing John Wick franchise, which also includes the prequel miniseries The Continental: From the World of John Wick, seems to have room for as many returning characters as possible. However, if that franchise eventually sees diminishing returns, the star has his fingers in as many other pies as possible.