The Walking Dead Creator Says TV Show & Comics Will End Differently

Will the zombie apocalypse ever come to an end for The Walking Dead? With a comic series that has been ongoing since 2003 and a television series that has remained one of the most popular cable shows out there, with a seventh season on the horizon, this may not be the easiest question to answer. Still, all things must come to an end eventually.

Robert Kirkman, the creator of The Walking Dead, has said a thing or two about this over the years. He already knows how he would end his comic series and is also happy to see the TV series go on for as long as it can. However, one thing Kirkman has made clear is that the comics and the show will have different endings from each other.

While speaking with Kevin Smith and Greg Grunberg on an episode of AMC’s Geeking Out, Kirkman assured everyone that although he may know where he wants to leave the remaining characters once he finally reaches the end of The Walking Dead comics, he is sure that it will be a different ending than however the AMC Walking Dead eventually ends. Kirkman also made sure to note that the comics will be sure to outlast the TV show, as he essentially wants the world of The Walking Dead to end on his terms.

Fans of the comics and the TV show are well aware that both properties, while sharing the same concept, are separate entities. Although the TV series tends to veer in and out of territory covered by the comics, including characters and settings such as the prison, Woodbury, the Governor and now Negan, there is still a large distinction between the two. With the number of differences in the TV show, including certain characters that are either still alive or now dead, it should not be too hard to imagine the idea of the comics having an entirely different ending than the TV show.

This should be good news for those who follow both properties. While The Walking Dead TV series may not have run into the same circumstance as Game of Thrones, as far as catching up to the books and going even further than readers know, it does feel more satisfying to have a series that chooses not to strictly adhere to the source material. It allows for a level of surprise that can challenge some and make more sense in regards to how the TV show plays compared to the comic.

One just has to hope that when the comic and the TV series finally do reach their respective ends, both Kirkman and those working on the show find a way to best conclude what has been read and viewed by millions for years. Given how The Walking Dead has dealt with characters continually fighting for their lives against hordes of zombies, surely everyone will get bloody satisfaction.

The Walking Dead returns for season 7 on Sunday, October 23.