Daryl Dixon’s Walking Dead spinoff can resolve the franchise’s Heath mystery. Played by Corey Hawkins, Heath mysteriously vanished in a season 7 episode and never returned. While it’s true that he hasn’t been involved with the show in over five years now, there’s a good chance that his absence from the Walking Dead universe will end in 2023.
Due to the actor landing the lead role in FOX’s failed 24 reboot, The Walking Dead wrote Heath out of the story but left the door open for a return by having him suddenly vanish. Later, his van being spotted in the camp of Jadis (a known associate of the CRM) created the impression that he was abducted by the same people who made off with Rick. There were theories that he’d finally come back into the picture into the CRM-centric World Beyond spinoff, but this scenario never came to . Hopes of Heath ever showing up again have dimmed as a result, but his return to The Walking Dead has never been officially ruled out.
In fact, an opportunity for The Walking Dead to resolve its Heath mystery may present itself in Daryl’s untitled spinoff. Even though it’s been confirmed that Daryl’s show will be set in , it seems the show will involve some familiar faces. According to Norman Reedus, Daryl may “run into one or two” missing characters. It’s hard to imagine Daryl just happening to meet an existing character in such a far-off location, which is why it seems likely that his spinoff is tied to the CRM, who is the very reason why the franchise even has missing characters in the first place. Since Heath is one of the very few people Reedus could be referring to, it’s highly likely that Daryl’s spinoff is the story that will bring back Heath.
How Heath Can Return In Daryl’s Waking Dead Show
Obviously, Daryl can’t get to a place like without help, so it makes sense that his trip will be arranged by the CRM. Though there’s no confirmation that they have access to planes or ships that can make it across the ocean, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that they have the available resources. If so, Heath – who they apparently captured several years ago – may be stationed where Daryl is going when his spinoff kicks off in 2023. If that’s the case, Corey Hawkins’ Heath could actually be an important member of the cast for Daryl’s new series.
If Heath appears on Daryl’s show as an ally, The Walking Dead franchise can use this as an opportunity to explain where he’s been all this time, why the CRM took him from that bridge in season 7, and exactly what his role is now. Not only will the answers to these questions clear up the show’s Heath mystery, but they’ll also be relevant to Rick’s situation since he too was taken by the CRM. Whatever The Walking Dead reveals about Heath in Daryl’s show can provide possible insight on what happened to Rick ahead of his own spinoff with Michonne.