The Walking Dead came to an end in November 2022, and with its emotional finale came three spinoffs that were planned for it. There was the untitled Daryl Dixon spinoff show, as well as the Rick and Michonne spinoff that is set to release in 2024. But before all of those, we have Dead City, the show we are talking about today, releasing now as part of the 2023 TV release schedule.
Yes, a zombie show set in New York City, Dead City follows two enemies-turned-forced allies when Maggie’s son is taken from her – and she must team up with Negan to hunt down the people who took him, leading them to Manhattan, of all places – hence the title, “Dead City.” With some faces that are familiar and others that are brand new, here is where you’ve seen the Dead City cast before.
Lauren Cohan (Maggie Greene)
First up on the list is the obvious one, Lauren Cohan, who plays Maggie Greene in The Walking Dead: Dead City. Cohan has played Maggie for more than a decade now, with her first portrayal of the iconic character being in Season 2 of The Walking Dead, and continued to play her until the series end in 2022 – besides the small break she took during Seasons 9 and 10.
However, it’s freaking awesome that we’re going to see her again in Dead City, and now, she'll team up with the very man that she hates the most, Negan. So here’s to that, I can’t wait to see that dynamic.
Cohan has done much more than just TWD during her time in television and movies. Besides her main role on the show, she also had a main role on her own series, Whiskey Cavalier, for a season, and had recurring roles on several other TV shows, including the hit fantasy series Supernatural, for one season, the teen drama series The Vampire Diaries, Chuck, and the adult animated series, Archer.
With film, Cohan’s biggest credit thus far was her starring role in the horror movie The Boy, one of the scariest doll movies out there, but she was also in films such as Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Mile 22, All Eyez on Me, and Reach Me.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Negan)
Next up on this list is the man, the myth, the legend, Negan himself, the person who was arguably the best villain on TWD – and later turned into a decent guy down the line. Obviously, in Dead City, Negan is going to be played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, someone who has been in the movie and television industry for some time.
Morgan has been in many films that you might recognize him from, including Rampage, Heist, Walkaway Joy, The Resident, Watchmen, Shanghai, Jam, Road Kill, The Unholy, Fall and more. But television has been where Morgan has really shined in the past.
He appeared in recurring roles in shows such as The Good Wife, Extant, The Burning Zone, Grey’s Anatomy, The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe, Leopard Skin, and more.
Something he actually also shares with his co-star, Cohan, is that Morgan also had a recurring role on Supernatural for some time, playing the father of the main characters. Morgan is also going to be in the fourth season of The Boys in a recurring role, so he’s clearly sticking around television for some time.
Gaius Charles (Perlie Armstrong)
Moving on, we take a look at Gaius Charles, who plays Perlie Armstrong in The Walking Dead: Dead City. The first of many new characters within The Walking Dead universe, Perlie is apparently a strong and confident man who is willing to do anything in order to build a safe world for his family, including killing those that get in his way.
Charles has been around on television for some time. He was a part of the main cast of Friday Night Lights, and had recurring roles on television shows such as Necessary Roughness, Aquarius, Grey’s Anatomy, Roswell: New Mexico and Queens. He was also a part of the main cast of God Friended Me.
Besides that, Charles has also appeared in movies such as The Messenger, Salt, Takers, Batman: Bad Blood in a voice role, Alice, Land of Dreams, and The Stanford Prison Experiment. Now, he’ll be joining the walkers.
Željko Ivanek (The Croat)
The next person we’re going to talk about is Željko Ivanek, who plays The Croat in Dead City.
Ivanek has appeared in many television shows before this, with many big roles. He has had parts in series such as Damages, Homicide: Life on the Street, Heroes, 24, True Blood, Suits, Revolution, 12 Monkeys and so many more. Most recently, he had a main role on the hit show, Madame Secretary, where he played Russell Jackson, the chief of staff at the White House.
Besides that, Ivanek has also appeared in a variety of films. Some of his biggest include The Last Duel from Ridley Scott, The Courier, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, X-Men: Apocalypse, Seven Psychopaths, The Associate, Argo, Tower Heist and others.
Jonathan Higginbotham (Tommaso)
Moving on, we take a look at Jonathan Higginbotham, who portrays Tommaso in The Walking Dead: Dead City. Higginbotham is relatively new to television, as he’s only had guest roles prior to his major role in shows such as The Blacklist, Bonding, and Shining Vale. He was also in the movie Agent Toby Barks.
Mahina Napoleon (Ginny)
Next up is Ginny, who is played by Mahina Napoleon. Like her castmate before her, Napoleon is relatively new to the industry, as the only major role she’s had so far, besides this, was a recurring part on NCIS: Hawai’i, but it’ll be exciting to see where she goes from here on out.
Trey Santiago-Hudson (Jano)
The last person on this list is Trey Santiago-Hudson, who plays Jano in The Walking Dead: Dead City. The actor has been in two movies before, You Hurt My Feelings and Vineyards, but he also had a guest role in the popular show, New Amsterdam before it ended in early 2023. I can’t wait to see what he does next after this show.
While we’re not sure where these characters will take Maggie and Negan on this epic adventure, I’m sure that it’s going to be a wild ride indeed. Are you ready to dive deeper into the city filled with walkers? Because I certainly can’t wait to explore more.
