Norman Reedus Leaving ‘The Walking Dead’? Read His Reaction [Spoilers]
Fans are still in a state of shock over the last episode of The Walking Dead. Norman Reedus is speaking out about that surprising ending and the rumors that he’s leaving the show behind. For those avoiding spoilers, there may be some, so read at your own risk.
Norman Reedus speaks about the scene where it looks like Dwight points his gun and shoots directly at Daryl Dixon. Blood splatters on the camera, the scene cuts to black, and then fans hear Dwight casually say, “You’ll be alright.” Reedus couldn’t give many details away, of course, but he insists that his character did, in fact, get shot.
“Well it’s exactly what you see. I mean, that’s Daryl’s blood that you see. That’s exactly what happens, exactly what you see. So that’s the world that we live in. The fight between Daryl and Dwight is very real — that sort of fight on who you are and who you’re becoming and what you’ve given up is very real right now, and I think Daryl’s making that as real as possible with him.”
As the Entertainment Weekly interview points out, fans have remarked at comic book conventions and on social media that if Daryl dies, they will riot. So, if Daryl got shot, does that mean Norman Reedus is leaving the show for good? The Walking Dead’s “East” episode has made many convinced that he’s the next to go. The jaw-dropping ending is just one of the many reasons that fans are concerned that Norman is leaving.
His character, Daryl Dixon, has been the center of death rumors on the AMC series for years because he’s so popular. His character doesn’t even exist in the comics. Fans were really concerned when rumors swirled that Reedus sold his Atlanta home last April. Reedus quashed those rumors to the Wrap at the time.
“That’s not even my house. It’s a rumor. I wish that was my house. It’s a nice house,” he admitted.
The rumors picked up steam when Norman announced that he’s working on his own reality show called Ride with Norman Reedus, which will also air on AMC. The show will follow the actor as he rides on his motorcycle with a new buddy each week and learns about the motorcycle culture and puts an end to those stereotypes.
“I’m incredibly excited and thankful to AMC for giving me the opportunity to share a passion of mine with our fans, and hopefully to a whole new audience,” Reedus said at the time of his announcement. “I had a lot of fun filming and exploring, and I hope it shows.”
All these rumors seem to line up with The Walking Dead’s “East” episode. But the question still remains: Is Daryl really dead? He was clearly shot on that episode. Even Norman admits that it was Daryl, not Rosita, who got shot.
He even addressed it again to TV Line, saying, “It’s not a trick. It’s definitely Daryl getting shot. I won’t tell you where he’s getting shot. But if you see [Dwight] pull the trigger, and that’s Daryl’s blood.”
Reedus also revealed to Entertainment Weekly that even he’s feeling a little speechless from the Season 6 finale of TWD. It’s a hardcore scene that’s going to be hard to swallow for most fans because it’s the kind of episode where viewers get introduced to Negan and the barbwire-wrapped baseball bat he calls “Lucille.” But this 90-minute heart-pounding episode may frustrate some fans. According to online spoilers, they might not even know who gets killed until the next season.
What are your thoughts? Do you believe Daryl Dixon is dead or alive? Do you think Norman Reedus will leave The Walking Dead sooner rather than later? Share your thoughts below in the comments section.
[Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images for AMC]
