'The Walking Dead': Norman Reedus hitting the road alone as Melissa McBride exits 'Daryl & Carol' spinoff

Norman Reedus will be forced to hit the road by his lonesome when The Walking Dead comes to an end after its eleventh and final season later this year. AMC confirmed Wednesday that Melissa McBride is no longer attached to the spinoff project originally centered around the fan favorite characters of the gruff Daryl Dixon (Reedus) and resourceful Carol Peletier (McBride).

No reason was given for the exit aside from general logistics, though it could have something to do with the actress wanting a well-deserved break after more than a decade of walking in Carol's shoes. The announcement also came with the news that the currently-untitled show, which starts filming this summer, will travel across the Atlantic for a change of scenery.

“Melissa McBride has given life to one of the most interesting, real, human and popular characters in The Walking Dead Universe," the network said in a statement obtained by SYFY WIRE. "Unfortunately, she is no longer able to participate in the previously announced spin-off focused on the Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier characters, which will be set and filmed in Europe this summer and premiere next year. Relocating to Europe became logistically untenable for Melissa at this time. We know fans will be disappointed by this news, but The Walking Dead Universe continues to grow and expand in interesting ways and we very much hope to see Carol again in the near future."

The spinoff was conceived by current showrunner/executive producer Angela Kang and Walking Dead brand manager, Scott M. Gimple. Kang is also on board as showrunner/EP for the now Daryl-centric outing, which, according to a previous statement from Gimple, will feature "a new world, a new tone, a new frontier of story and purpose."

Dead City (previously titled Isle of the Dead), a second spinoff featuring the unlikely duo of Maggie Rhee (Lauren Cohan) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), has also been green-lit by AMC. Its story will unfold in a post-apocalyptic version of New York City.

A premiere date for the last eight episodes in The Walking Dead's jumbo-sized final season has yet to be fixed. Photography on the conclusory crop of episodes wrapped in early April. Production on the series finale was briefly delayed when Reedus sustained a minor concussion on set.

Tales of the Walking Dead, a zombified anthology featuring characters both old and new, is also expected to bow this summer. So far, the only returning cast member we know about is Samantha Morton, confirmed to step back into the role of lead Whisperer Alpha.

Fear the Walking Dead is currently in the middle of airing its seventh season.

If you're looking for more horror in the meantime, check out the extensive catalog of horror flicks on Peacock, which includes plenty of zombie thrillers. Also be on the lookout for Firestarter, which hits the service and theaters on May 13.