The Walking Dead has cast its next terrifying villain

By Rick Marshall November 10, 2015

hbo watchmen damon lindelof leftovers jeffrey dean morgan — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The comic book series The Walking Dead has a long history of memorably vicious villains that have made the leap from page to screen, and now one of the most notorious threats to Rick Grimes and his fellow survivors will find his way to the screen.

Watchmen actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan will reportedly play Negan, the baseball bat-wielding leader of a neighboring community in the hit series.

The casting news arrives via The Hollywood Reporter, and the report indicates that Morgan will make his debut as Negan during sixth season’s finale. He’ll then go on to be a series regular in the seventh season (and possibly beyond).

According to the report, Morgan was one of several actors considered for the role. Timothy Olyphant, Matt Dillon, and Garret Dillahunt all reportedly tested for the part.

In the comic book series, Negan is the violent leader of a group of survivors dubbed “The Saviors” that force a network of communities to provide them with supplies in exchange for protection from the undead. Negan famously wields a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire that he calls “Lucille.”

Series artist Charlie Adlard has acknowledged that the visual inspiration for Negan was actor/musician Henry Rollins.

Morgan is no stranger to playing comic book characters, having payed The Comedian in 2009’s Watchmen (pictured), as well as the role of Clay in the 2010 adaptation of The Losers comic book series. He’ll also appear in the upcoming Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice as Bruce Wayne’s father, Thomas Wayne. Morgan also plays a recurring role in the popular Supernatural television series, and recently appeared in the action thriller Heist with Robert De Niro and Dave Bautista.

Currently in the midst of its sixth season, The Walking Dead is expected to kick off its seventh season in October 2016.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

A veteran journalist with more than two decades of experience covering local and national news, arts and entertainment, and…

Entertainment

Tales of the Walking Dead trailer shows new zombie adventures

Two women stand on an overpass and watch zombies walk towards them in a scene from Tales of The Walking Dead.

The Walking Dead franchise is adding more zombie adventures to its universe with the addition of Tales of the Walking Dead, the new spinoff series set to premiere on AMC and AMC+. Scott M. Gimple, a co-creator of Tales, shared the first trailer from the spinoff in front of the lively crowd at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con. Also on hand for the announcement were showrunner/executive producer Channing Powell, director/executive producer Michael Satrazemis, and some cast members, including Terry Crews and Samantha Morton.

Tales of the Walking Dead will be a six-episode anthology series that features a standalone story in each episode. New and established characters in The Walking Dead universe will be featured throughout each episode. The tagline reads, "Six New Stories. One Dead World." The footage highlights all six stories in different settings as the characters all try to survive the zombie apocalypse.

Entertainment

AMC lines up a new Walking Dead spinoff for Negan and Maggie

Negan and Maggie in The Walking Dead.

The Walking Dead will come to an end after 11 seasons later this year. However, two of the primary leads will live on. AMC has announced a new Walking Dead spinoff, The Walking Dead: Isle of the Dead, with Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Lauren Cohan reprising their respective roles as Negan and Maggie.

However, Maggie and Negan don't exactly have a close relationship on the show. Warning, spoilers follow: The first time they met, Negan murdered Maggie's husband, Glenn. In recent seasons, Negan has reformed and aligned himself with the survivors at Alexandria. Naturally, Maggie has never forgiven Negan, but they have been able to work together on occasion. In Isle of the Dead, the unlikely duo will go someplace where TWD hasn't explored before: New York City.

Entertainment

The Walking Dead: All 10 seasons, ranked

Carol and Daryl walking together on The Walking Dead.

Never has a show jumped a proverbial shark only to land ever so steadily and tread water for a few seasons, then rise above once again like The Walking Dead. If you're one of the viewers who stuck with the show through its lowest points, you will have reaped the benefits of the big pay-off that came after the post-apocalyptic series hit its stride once again.

The Walking Dead's earliest seasons drew viewers into emotional, heart-wrenching scenes, shocking them with copious amounts of action and gore, and built characters who fans became deeply invested in as the story arcs developed. Following some questionable middle seasons, the show returned to its initial appeal thanks to reinvigorated elements that made it fresh and exciting once again.