6 Ideas for The Walking Dead Spin-Off

The world of The Walking Dead is expanding.

On Monday, AMC announced plans for a companion series that is set in the same world, but will follow new characters, which will offer a different perspective on the zombie apocalypse. With those parameters in mind, TVGuide.com came up with six ideas for the series, which will be executive-produced by Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd and David Alpert. Keep in mind that introducing new characters doesn't mean that familiar faces couldn't take center stage in the spin-off. Take a look at our list: (Warning: Comic book and series spoilers below!)

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1. Tank Soldier: The second season almost kicked off with a tale about the tank soldier whom Rick (Andrew Lincoln) came across in the pilot when he made it to the overrun Atlanta. It would've seen Being Human'sSam Witwer trying to lead a group of soldiers to provide reinforcement. (Read all about it here.) The new spin-off could have that same documentary-style as it chronicles different factions of the military, police force and U.S. government in the days immediately after the outbreak.

2. Centers for Disease Control: The end of Season 1 saw the group finally make it to the CDC only to discover that it was pretty much hopeless. But the series could flash back to Dr. Edwin Jenner's (Noah Emmerich) quest to find a cure, as well as the other CDCs across the nation and even the world. Maybe then we'll finally learn what caused the zombie outbreak.

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3. Morgan: Morgan Jones (Lennie James) finally returned at the end of the third season, but there's a huge gap of story missing since his meeting with Rick in the pilot. The spin-off could go even further back to before his wife turned into a walker and it could eventually show how his son Duane died.

4. Michonne: Fans of The Walking Dead comics know that there was a greater significance to Michonne's two pet zombies from her introduction: The arm-less, jaw-less walkers on chains were actually her boyfriend and his best friend. The story of her life before joining the group was catalogued in a 2012 special issue, but it could be expanded. After all, Michonne is a fan-favorite character, so who wouldn't want a double dose of Danai Gurira on AMC?  

5. An anthology series: Each season would tell the backstory of a different character during the immediate aftermath of the zombie outbreak who eventually died. You could start with Andrea (Laurie Holden) and Amy (Emma Bell), as they head off on their pre-apocalypse road trip before getting stranded in Atlanta only to be rescued by Dale (Jeffrey DeMunn). There's also a whole story to be told about Merle (Michael Rooker)'s whereabouts after he chopped his hand off. What about the team of military men in the helicopter? Or Dave (Michael Raymond-James) and Tony's (Aaron Munoz) group from Season 2? There are plenty of stories ripe for the picking here.

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6. Negan: This is the one we want to see. In the comics, this villain is even more dastardly than The Governor (David Morrissey) — and that's saying something. But how did the leader of The Saviors — who leaves quite a mark on Rick & Co. starting in the 100th issue — build his empire? The spin-off could tee that up before setting the stage for a crossover in which Rick comes across one of his greatest foes.

Do you have any ideas for The Walking Dead spin-off? Hit the comments!

The Walking Dead returns Sunday, Oct. 13 at 9/8c on AMC.