SPOILERS BELOW
Exciting news is being reported by The Hollywood Reporter, that AMC’s ‘The Walking Dead’ has cast Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan. Morgan was one of multiple actors (including Timothy Olyphant, Matt Dillon and Garret Dillahunt, among others) who were considered at some point for the role. Production on the season six finale begins this week in Atlanta.
The character will first arrive in the season six finale and the become a series regular for season 7. Negan is the violent leader of a group known as The Saviors who use force and intimidation to subjugate other communities — including Alexandria. Negan first appears in the 100th issue of the comic series when he crosses paths with Rick Grimes, who had been vocal about bringing down the man who takes half the community’s supplies in exchange for “protection” from walkers.
I’m just hoping that they stick close to the source material for Negan as opposed to how they handled The Governor (David Morrissey). I just hated how tame he was up until the end, in the comics he was a more openly dastardly and ruthless. Coupled with the remixed deaths of some pivotal characters during their times at the prison, it really made them my least liked seasons of ‘The Walking Dead’
In the comics Negan is completely brutal. He wields his bloodthirsty barbed wire Bat, Lucille, delivering justice. He is also the one truly responsible for the gruesome death of Glenn. I always had the feeling that Glenn and Nicholas falling into the zombie horde was going to be a false death. My theory is that Nicholas’ body fell on top of Glenn and the zombies somehow ignore Glenn as he lays there motionless and manages to escape after they finish feeding.