Greg Nicotero Explains How Daryl Dixon Uses Zombies Differently From Other Walking Dead Spinoffs

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Throughout the first two seasons, the spin-off series “The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon” has introduced unique walkers such as flaming ones, climbers, faster and stronger variants known as ampers, and bioluminescent zombies in the Chunnel linking France and the UK. However, in season 3 of “Daryl Dixon“, Daryl (Norman Reedus) and Carol’s (Melissa McBride) unexpected trip to Spain will lead them to encounter walkers that appear to be talking! Yet, it’s not exactly as it seems. Similar to how “The Walking Dead” previously seemed to introduce speaking zombies in season 9, only to later reveal they were the disguised Whisperers, these “talking dead” are not what they appear to be.

As Daryl and Carol, stranded after a shipwreck, navigate their way towards Solaz del Mar, they’ll encounter various new groups of individuals, hints executive producer Greg Nicotero in an interview with ComicBook. Among these groups appears to be a Spanish adaptation of the Whisperers, whose ability to blend seamlessly among the dead is so effective that they can easily be confused for walkers – often leading to tragic consequences.

At some point, Daryl encounters a group of people living in a leper colony. The intriguing aspect is that when you first see them, they’re all wrapped up and moving slowly and hunched over. It makes you think, “Are those undead creatures?” However, one of them speaks, which comes as quite a surprise, as Nicotero explains. You find yourself thinking, “Wow, zombies can talk?” With these characters, Nicotero notes, we had an opportunity to create some truly distinct non-zombie personas for a change.

One distinct advantage Daryl Dixon holds over American spinoffs like “The Walking Dead: Dead City” and “The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live” is the diverse setting, encompassing various cultural responses to the walker apocalypse in countries such as France, Greenland, England, and Spain.

One distinctive aspect about Daryl, unlike other shows, is that he interacts with zombies in an entirely distinct manner, as stated by Nicotero. In the first season, for instance, there’s an episode where Daryl encounters a Parisian conductor who leads an orchestra made up of walkers connected to musical instruments. This use of walkers to represent diverse cultures was “quite enjoyable” and provided an exceptional chance for shows like The Walking Dead spinoffs, which cannot do the same thing.

In this current storyline of the show, zombies are being employed as puppets depicting a sense of old-world Spanish culture, according to Nicotero, who’s been handling special effects makeup for The Walking Dead since 2010. While these puppet zombies remain terrifying in several aspects because they must always be frightening, the creative team also gets to explore how different cultures interact with them.

In the third season, Daryl and Carol “carry on their journey towards their loved ones and home,” as suggested by the summary. “As they navigate their way back, their path becomes increasingly misleading, guiding them through remote territories with constantly shifting and alien environments. Along the way, they observe the diverse impacts of the zombie apocalypse.

The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon season 3 premieres Sunday, Sept. 7, on AMC and AMC+.

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2025-08-04 05:10