The third season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is scheduled to premiere in September, and is expected to take even more inspiration from one of the best zombie movies ever by bringing Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier to the United Kingdom. Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride are two of the longest-surviving members of The Walking Dead’s original cast, alongside Andrew Lincoln’s Rick Grimes. After the main series’ finale, Daryl and Carol embarked on a journey to explore post-apocalyptic Europe – France in seasons 1 and 2, and somewhere new in season 3.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3 will complete Daryl and Carol’s hike through the EuroTunnel, bringing them to a zombie-infested United Kingdom. Trailers for the upcoming season have confirmed that British comedy legend Stephen Merchant will be appearing as Julian, a lone survivor in London. In a recent featurette (via YouTube), Merchant described Julian as “the last Englishman in England,” so we’ll surely get some scenes reminiscent of the opening moments of one of the greatest zombie movies in history: Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later from 2002.
28 Days Later introduced audiences to a United Kingdom ravaged by a Rage Virus that induces heightened aggression, adrenaline, and brutality in the infected. 28 Days Later revolutionized the genre, but one of the movie’s most notable scenes didn’t feature any infected people at all. Rather, 28 Days Later really kicks off when Cillian Murphy’s Jim wakes up in a hospital in the weeks after the Rage Virus outbreak and walks alone through the abandoned streets of London. Merchant’s Julian in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon could take inspiration from 28 Days Later’s Jim.
In the years since 28 Days Later first released, many subsequent zombie projects have taken inspiration from the iconic movie. This could include The Walking Dead itself, which saw Rick Grimes wake up in hospital weeks after the start of the zombie apocalypse and walk through abandoned streets, very similarly to Jim. The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman has routinely denied any connection between his original comic series and 28 Days Later, but the similarity is astounding, and it would be fantastic to see The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon actually pay direct homage to 28 Days Later.
Daryl and Carol coming to London is an exciting prospect for British viewers who are yet to see what has come of the United Kingdom in The Walking Dead’s universe. Stephen Merchant, known for roles in Logan and Jojo Rabbit, and also for co-creating legendary series including The Office, will also be a fantastic addition to The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’s cast. Merchant’s Julian would benefit from being inspired by 28 Days Later’s Jim, so The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, premiering on September 7th, may be the second 2025 project to hark back to Danny Boyle’s 2002 zombie movie.
Are you excited for The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3? Let us know in the comments!
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