NYCC 2019: The Walking Dead Universe is officially a thing

AMC recently shared its belief that The Walking Dead franchise has "decades" of life to it. The network even gave The Walking Dead Universe its official name. But at New York Comic Con, AMC finally showed a better idea of what the expansion of that world really means. There's no denying it now. The Walking Dead Universe is a thing.

To get us through the next phase of The Walking Dead franchise, SYFY WIRE's Caitlin Busch, Jackie Jennings, and Jordan Carlos came together to share their thoughts on this weekend's developments. That includes the first trailer for the third Walking Dead series, which will focus on the first generation of kids to come of age during the zombie apocalypse. It really kind of seems like The OC with zombies, as a bunch of privileged kids get a taste of the real world. This is one field trip we wouldn't have signed off on for our kids.

Meanwhile, The Walking Dead's flagship series got a huge vote of confidence from the network. AMC renewed The Walking Dead for an 11th season only a day before the 10th season premiered. Additionally, it was announced that Lauren Cohan will reprise her role as Maggie in the 11th season. But will this be enough to keep The Walking Dead on top?

Another important point to consider is the impending departure of Danai Gurira's Michonne. She's been on the show since the beginning of the third season, and Michonne is one of the few remaining fan favorites from The Walking Dead's glory days. The panel agreed that the handling of Michonne's exit will be a major factor in whether the show can live without her. However, Michonne needs a memorable way to go out. And we'll be watching closely to see how definitive her final episode will be, or whether she can return in the future movies alongside Rick.

For more Walking Dead Universe details, check out the full video!