Maggie and Negan are warring (again) in The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2
The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 arrives in 2025, with more of Maggie and Negan's New York City adventures.
Photo credit: Peter Kramer/AMC
If you missed Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s eerie Negan whistle—you know, the one made popular in The Walking Dead‘s season six to establish he’s the Bad Guy—then boy, have we got you covered. That creepy sound is prominent in the new trailer for Dead City, a spin-off centered on Negan and Maggie Rhee, played by Lauren Cohan. The post-apocalyptic drama returns for a second season in 2025, but AMC dropped an early teaser during the show’s San Diego Comic-Con panel.
“You wanted Negan dead once, now you want to save his life?” someone asks Maggie in the clip. They’re not wrong—Maggie spent a lot of time in the original series with a burning hot desire to kill Negan. After all, he brutally bashed her husband’s head in. But Dead City sees them team up and head to New York City in search of her kidnapped son. Both of them reluctantly work together for a while, but based on what we learned at today’s SDCC panel, this partnership might not last long.
Morgan, Cohan, and series creator Eli Jorné took the stage (along with cast members Gauis Charles and Željko Ivanek) to talk about what to expect. Speaking of Negan’s evolution, Morgan said: “He has to grow. He has no choice. I think a lot of it has to do with him kind of waking up.” The actor claims he’s still part of the franchise because he enjoys working with Jorné. “Eli has a really good grasp on Negan moving forward.” Although here’s a tease: His beloved barbed wire bat Lucille returns in season two.
As for Cohan, the actor got visibly emotional on stage while discussing TWD‘s impact on her life, calling it “the most humbling experience I’ve had in my life.” She takes a step beyond lead actor in season two because Cohan also directs an episode. Meanwhile, we’ll find out more about the villainous Croat, Ivanek says, including his “childhood, family, and motivations.”
Dead City season two allows the cast and crew to dig deeper into their urban setting, with Jorne teasing they’ll explore Manhattan more while also “going a bit north.” Based on the trailer alone, though, it doesn’t look like things are getting any less grimy.
The show welcomes Keir Gilchrist, Dascha Polanco, and Jake Weary to the cast. The Walking Dead: Dead City returns in 2025.