Though Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Deadwood star Garret Dillahunt had seemingly been linked with the part, AMC has announced that Jeffery Dean Morgan will be joining The Walking Dead Season 6 as infamous comic book villain Negan.
It’s an iconic role for the Watchmen and The Good Wife alum to assume, and it raises all manner of questions about the fate of certain characters on the network’s hit zombie series. As such, we’d advise against venturing any further if you want to avoid spoilers.
[zergpaid]According to The Hollywood Reporter, the addition of Jeffery Dean Morgan brings an end to an exhaustive and long-running casting process for the coveted part, and the actor will now take on the part of the famed villain from Robert Kirkman’s comic book series. Sources close to AMC claim that Morgan will make his debut as the dastardly baddie during the season finale for The Walking Dead season 6. Set to be directed by Greg Nicotero, it’ll air on April 8, 2016.
Comparisons have already been made with David Morrissey’s The Governor – himself a nefarious and power-mongering baddie – though it’s fair to see that Negan is cut from a more sadistic cloth than his evil counterpart. Crossing paths with Rick Grimes, Negan is the chief behind The Saviors, a group of outlaws who force any communities and pockets of survivors to bend to their wills using brute force and intimidation.
Indeed, the inclusion of Negan has been long hinted at in the past, with Andrew Lincoln himself stating in the past that “there are astonishingly brilliant and thrilling characters that I am convinced we would be idiots not to meet in our journey; I would be very surprised if we don’t see Negan on the horizon in the not-too-distant future.”
Expect to get a glimpse of Jeffery Dean Morgan as Negan when The Walking Dead season 6 finale airs in April, 2016.