The Walking Dead is expanding its universe – only not in the way fans expected.

A spin-off series centred around Rick Grimes (played by Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne Hawthorne (Danai Guirira) has been announced.

The two actors made a special appearance at the final ever The Walking Dead panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday (22 July) to announce the news to an audience of ecstatic fans.

The spin-off – which will consist of six episodes and is expected to be released next year – is moving forward in place of the previously announced Walking Dead film trilogy, which had been set to be led by Lincoln’s fan-favourite character.

According to the logline for the as of yet untitled show, it “presents an epic love story of two characters changed by a changed world”.

It continued: “Rick and Michonne are thrown into another world, built on a war against the dead… And ultimately, a war against the living.

“Can they find each other and who they were in a place and situation unlike any they’ve ever known before? Are they enemies? Lovers? Victims? Victors? Without each other, are they even alive – or will they find that they, too, are the Walking Dead?”

Scott Gimple – the showrunner for The Walking Dead from series four through to eight – will serve as showrunner on the spin-off. Lincoln and Gurira are executive producers.

In a statement, Gimple said that the team are “crafting an insane love epic worth the long, long wait”.

Lincoln added: “I’m so excited to be returning to the screen as Rick, reuniting with Danai as Michonne, and bringing the fans an epic love story to add to the Walking Dead universe.”

Lincoln – who played Rick Grimes, the protagonist of the series – exited the show in season nine in 2018 after nearly a decade playing the character. His final appearance came during the fifth episode.