Norman Reedus Saved This Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon Character From Being Killed Off

"The Walking Dead" may be over, but the franchise is still shambling along, with Norman Reedus' Daryl Dixon continuing his adventures in Europe. Three seasons in, "The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon" has breathed new life into the franchise while carrying the post-apocalyptic torch. Though its big selling points are "The Walking Dead" alumns Daryl and Carol Peletier (Melissa McBride), the show has also introduced some memorable characters of its own. 

One of those additions is Romain Levi's Stéphane Codron, a standout Season 1 antagonist. He starts out as a darker, tougher version of Daryl, but evolves into the kind of surprisingly likable character the franchise is quick to pull into the protagonist's orbit. Though Codron seemingly meets his fate in the Channel Tunnel between France and the U.K., the Season 3 finale "Solaz del Mar," reveals that the former Power of the Living soldier is still kicking. As it turns out, Codron really was supposed to die, but Reedus himself stepped in to save the character. 

"That actor, Romain Levi, is great," Reedus said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "He texts me all the time, like, 'Oh my God, thank you so much! This is great!' He's really enthusiastic and really appreciative. They were going to kill him off and I was like, 'Come on, we got to keep him!' He's got a really meaningful storyline coming up and he's just a cool guy." 

Reedus isn't wrong: Levi is terrific as the scarred, tattooed, eyepatch-wearing Codron. The two actors also seem to have real rapport — which may have something to do with a connection that Reedus didn't even realize when Levi was cast. As it turns out, Reedus knew Levi's sister years ago. "It's crazy because I was friends with his sister a million years ago through [former partner Helena Christensen]," Reedus told Entertainment Weekly. "She ended up texting me and telling me, 'Hey, my brother is up for a part in your show.' And I'm like, 'Who's your brother?' And he had already gotten the part and I'm like, 'He's in!' Everything kind of synced up really well with him. He's a great guy."

It's nice to hear that Reedus was able to persuade the makers of the show to keep Levi's character alive. He's taken some departures pretty hard, after all: In 2024, Reedus told TVLine that he was sad to see Isabelle leave the show, as he genuinely liked actress Clémence Poésy. 

Unfortunately, the connection between Reedus and Levi has a shelf life. Since "The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon" won't get a Season 5, Codron has only one more season to make an impression before this chapter of the franchise ends. Then again, "The Walking Dead" universe has a habit of refusing to stay dead.