‘The Walking Dead’ Season 7: Norman Reedus’ Gay Daryl Dixon Could Make Out With Jesus? [Rumor/Spoilers]

The Walking Dead Season 7 is not even close to being here, and the rumor mill is already in overdrive. “Is Daryl Dixon gay?” they ask. If so, could an equally-gay Jesus make out with Norman Reedus’ character? Many of these questions have been answered indirectly in the past by Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, but that has not stopped people from attempting to “ship” Daryl and Jesus.

[Warning: The following does make reference to some Walking Dead spoilers.]

After all, the way that Paul Rovia was introduced is almost a redneck romance in the making. Not only did they fight over a vehicle, they rolled around in the grass while Benny Hill music played in the background.

While that was a joke, people are not joking when it comes to shipping Jesus and Daryl Dixon. Some TWD fans believe Rovia has already begun to hit on Daryl in his first episode.

me: so u know in the comics jesus is gay
my dad: is that why he was hitting on daryl

— tatum (@anakinobiwans) February 22, 2016

@Smilin_Beth Jesus is gay and Robert is possibly putting him with Daryl so I was like yas gotta get a head start on it

— ?Daryl D??on? (@XxALostSoulxX) February 22, 2016

So… are Daryl & Jesus gonna fall in love after all that tension? Will Daryl finally be gay? #TheWalkingDead #TheNextWorld #Jesyl

— Psychedelic Witch (@psychosisparty) February 22, 2016

REMEMBER SCOTT M GIMPLE SAID THERE WOULD BE A DARYL ROMANCE THIS SEASON AND THERE WAS TALK OF DARYL BEING GAY?! WHAT IF DARYL AND JESUS DATE

— NEW TWD 1 DAY (@TWDandBenHaenow) February 22, 2016

Assuming showrunners Gimple and Kirkman do indeed have said plans in mind, there is some evidence to back the Walking Dead rumor mill. For example, this past fall, a Reedus interview discussed how and why Daryl would fall in love.

“Allowing himself to fall in love is something Daryl Dixon wouldn’t have done until after he’s lost everything and the world’s gone to s**t,” Reedus said. “Part of that character’s appeal is that you’re watching this guy reinvent himself as someone who’s finding a sense of self-worth through other people in his life. He’s slowly becoming proud of who he is.”

As in, gay pride? According to Wet Paint, Reedus does admit that the idea of Daryl being gay was first brought up by the original TWD showrunner, Frank Darabont, and that Kirkman revealed AMC is on board with making Daryl gay “so long as it served the story.” In addition, when Norman discussed the origins of the first TWD rumor, he claimed it was possible the Walking Dead comics character Paul Monroe was the inspiration.

“They cross-reference some of the characters in the comic book with us and there’s a character in the comic book named Jesus who is gay and he’s a total badass,” he said. “I think that’s where that came from.”

At one point, reports were claiming the actor actually begged the producers to not make his character gay. According to Norman Reedus, gay Daryl Dixon rumors are fine with him, although he isn’t exactly pushing the showrunners in that direction, either. Reedus has been clear that he does not want his character to start randomly forming romantic relationships. In fact, he’s even hoping any romance may be a bit awkward.

“I think once you make a decision left or right, or once you kiss somebody, it’s done. I want the buildup of that to be awkward as heck,” he said back in 2014.

Is not letting Jesus take the wheel awkward enough? In the past, Kirkman did claim he wanted the Walking Dead‘s Jesus character to “make out” with another male character at least once in a future TWD episode, although the series creator never discussed whether he had a specific lover in mind.

“We won’t focus on it constantly and it won’t be the focus of any big storylines for him… but he’ll make it with a dude every now and then … before going out and drop kicking zombies. He’s one of my current favorite characters,” explained Kirkman.

It should be expected that Paul Rovia will end up taking Rick and company to the Hilltop Colony in the upcoming The Walking Dead episode tonight. In the comics, Jesus also introduces the group to Ezekiel, another character instrumental in the war against Negan and The Saviors, although those events probably will not occur until The Walking Dead Season 7. The question is whether The Walking Dead Season 6 will include any romance between Jesus and Daryl, or if they ever have any such plans at all.

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There’s actually plenty of evidence to suggest a Jesus and Daryl romance would need to wait until The Walking Dead Season 7 or later. Assuming Daryl Dixon is bisexual, the second half of The Walking Dead Season 6 will apparently introduce a Walking Dead character named Allison, who is described by Cleveland.com as “a smart, artful and charming psychologist who quickly turns awkward and messy when it comes to her personal life.” This may be disappointing to those still shipping Carol and Daryl, but it’s believed Daryl will form some sort of “awkward” relationship with Allison, which meets one of Reedus’ qualifications.

Unfortunately, like many other secondary characters, Allison may be quite short lived. Back in December of 2015, one of the major Walking Dead spoilers revealed that a very angry Daryl is seen out in the woods during the second half of Season 6.

“I’m gonna do what I should have done. For her,” Daryl says.

In response, Glenn tells him that “she’s gone,” although no one is certain who they are referring to at this point. Some fans speculate that Judith may be the death being referenced. There’s also the possibility that Enid died somewhere along the way, but predicting her death is also impossible since the Enid character was invented for the TV show, just like Daryl. Others think it’s a new love interest for Daryl, who is introduced some time shortly after Episode 9, so it’s likely Daryl’s fling with Allison will not go too far.

Does that mean Jesus has a chance for a make out session in The Walking Dead Season 7? As noted in the beginning, it’s possible Robert Kirkman may have already answered the question. When speaking to People magazine, Kirkman said, “Daryl Dixon is being somewhat asexual on the show.” Since Daryl is a “very introverted character,” it may not make sense for Jesus to hook up with someone described as having no sexual feelings or associations.

Never mind, Kirkman went straight to the point (pun intended).

“I just wanted to make it clear that I was saying that the possibility is there [that Daryl is gay] and I would’ve been fine with it, the network would have been fine with it, but we ultimately didn’t do that. I can make it official – Daryl Dixon is actually straight.”

Do you think The Walking Dead Season 7 or beyond should make Norman Reedus’ Daryl Dixon gay for Jesus?

[Image via AMC]