"McDermott is still in conversation* with the showrunner"
Confused what this means. Couldn't Norman tell AMC NO, I won't do a spinoff that makes them a couple? He doesn't have to agree to do the spinoff claimed to still be in conversation.
And how long do these conversations last? (I read what you said a conversation could entail) but it seems like this conversation is a lot further in discussion if there is a show runner involved.
Wouldn't a conversation just end if there was no real interest by one of the actors? Because I have a hard time believing Norman would ever do a Carol spinoff since it's clear by now the days of him running the show are over. His ego can't handle doing another show where he doesn't have control. I mean he pretty much ran Gimple during the original TWD. Norman just wasn't as pissy as he is in 2026.
Last question, Do you think Norman blames Melissa for the spinoff being a failure? He still got to do it his way. Does he seriously not think any of the blame is on him? What planet does he live on?
Of course Norman could say ‘no,’ but as I’m sure you’ve noticed, there’s been no announcements that he’s signed on to lead some other show or that he’s headlining a feature. He doesn’t even do guest arcs on any shows, like how you see Jon Bernthal pop up everywhere. Norman gets small parts in big studio productions through connections (friend of a friend, etc.) or he does indies which then has to find distribution... He has the Death Stranding games, but that’s more niche/cult and also, a video game. Norman is getting visibly too old, among other things, to be competitive against other male talent auditioning for TV and he can’t open a box office, so eventually, it becomes a question of does he want to work?
Fans always claim this, but Norman did not run Gimple. He wasn’t an EP or even the lead of the show and regardless, all EPs sort in under the showrunner. I know someone is going to jump into an ask and tell me that Norman said something in some interview somewhere, but actors inflate their own importance. Do any of you really think Norman would’ve spent a season doing pretty much nothing but grunt, if he’d been in charge? Gimple didn’t want Daryl’s popularity to overtake the show and Norman desperately wants to be the star—they did not have a common agenda. And yes, Gimple would also have thrown Norman a bone in interviews because it’s what you do when you have an insecure actor with a big ego.
Whether Norman would refuse to join the cast is actually irrelevant to the Carol-focused show getting greenlit. McDermott is looking for something that can branch out to launch other TWDU options for AMC.
Finally, yes, Norman does blame everybody that's not him for his show’s failure and he holds Melissa responsible for its poor viewer reception.