Walking Dead star Norman Reedus has decried rumor-mongering about the fate of his character before, so it was no surprise (though certainly some relief) to fans that he took a moment out of holiday celebrations to dispel tales of Daryl Dixon’s death. Similar rumors and theories have spread before, and Reedus reminds fans that he didn’t die any of those times, either.

The rumor began when Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman was interviewed by CNN, and was asked about character deaths on the show.

“No, no one is safe. I’m looking at you, Norman Reedus,” Kirkman deadpanned.

The comment, which may have simply been a throwaway joke, because Daryl Dixon is so beloved by the show’s fans that by the normally accepted formula of television, one would expect him to survive. However, Walking Dead has killed off beloved characters before, turning a proverbial back on that formula.

Still, according to Reedus, the rumor is nothing but a rumor, not to be worried about — just like the four other times Daryl’s death was rumored to be in the cards this year.

It’s not the first time Kirkman has hinted at Daryl Dixon’s death, though: he told Entertainment Weekly back in June that Daryl would die this season, in a very similar deadpan statement that could be read either as a serious statement or a joke — aside from the fact that really revealing a character’s death that way would be an unlikely spoiler from the show’s creator. (Kirkman’s jokes about the show have been taken as serious spoilers before, too.)

Daryl Dixon might not be guaranteed safe passage to the show’s conclusion, any more than any other Walking Dead character, but, at least according to Norman Reedus, fans can ignore the current rumor that his demise is already scheduled for the near future.

[Photo: Gage Skidmore]