Actor Norman Reedus has joined the cast of Apple TV's upcoming spy thriller series Disavowed as a series regular alongside star James Marsden.
Apple TV initially announced the project in March and officially greenlit the series in May. The casting confirmation marks the first major television role for Reedus following the end of production on his long-running franchise.
Reedus spent more than 16 years playing Daryl Dixon in the hit drama series The Walking Dead and its spin-offs. Production has already wrapped on the fourth season of The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, which was filmed in Spain like season three, though it lacks a premiere date and will not air this year.
With his schedule cleared after completing the zombie drama, the 57-year-old actor quickly secured his place in the new espionage production.
Secrecy surrounding Reedus's role
Apple TV has kept all details regarding Reedus's character strictly secret. The streaming platform has not disclosed the character's name, role in the plot, or relationship to Marsden's character, making any details about his part purely speculative.
The storyline of Disavowed centers on Brad Griffin, a legendary CIA operations agent portrayed by Marsden. Griffin is abruptly fired while leading an international pursuit to track down a mysterious killer responsible for taking the life of one of his colleagues.
Left outside the intelligence community with nothing to lose, Griffin decides to go rogue. He sets out on an independent quest to locate the assassin and claim the 15 million dollar reward offered by the federal government for the killer's capture.
Creative team and production
Disavowed was created from an original idea by screenwriting duo Art Marcum and Matt Holloway, who previously wrote the screenplays for the superhero film Iron Man and the action movie Uncharted. Marsden serves as an executive producer alongside Marcum, Holloway, Tom Spezialy, and other production leaders.
Director Michelle MacLaren will direct the first two episodes of the series. MacLaren is a veteran television director and producer whose past credits include directing episodes of acclaimed series such as Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, and The X-Files.
Post-Walking Dead career transition
In addition to his iconic television work, Reedus gained international recognition as the lead actor and facial model for Sam Porter Bridges in Hideo Kojima's video game Death Stranding. His move to Apple TV marks a new chapter as he pursues fresh creative challenges.
Marsden, who takes the lead role of Griffin, recently starred in the Sonic the Hedgehog movie franchise and has appeared in major productions including Westworld and X-Men. Disavowed joins Apple TV's growing roster of high-profile drama and action series.
