It is a truth universally acknowledged that whenever the survivors of the zombie apocalypse think things might be going their way in either the comic book or its TV adaptation, fiendish creator Robert Kirkman and his colleagues find a way to make their lives that much worse. On TV, The Walking Dead is adding Jeffrey Dean Morgan as iconic villain Negan.
We’ll caution at this point that, while we’re staying mostly spoiler free, those concerned should skip ahead to the next paragraph. Introduced in issue 100 of the comics, he’s the brutal leader of a group called The Saviors who – don’t look surprised – use force and intimidation to exploit other communities, including Alexandria, where our heroes are currently situated. Known for his cruel nature and barbed wire-coiled baseball bat Lucille, Negan in the comics has been taking half the community’s supplies in exchange for his not-so-magnanimous “protection” from undead walkers. Morgan, who won the role over the likes of Timothy Olyphant and Garret Dillahunt, will be introduced as a guest star in this current sixth season before becoming a regular in the next.
Negan has been somewhat divisive for fans – some see him as tougher than The Governor (played on the show by David Morrissey), while others have dismissed him as a more mundane villain with less interesting issues. It remains to be seen how he fits into the show’s continuity. With Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Danai Guira, Chandler Riggs, Lauren Cohan and Michael Cudlitz among the cast, The Walking Dead is lurching towards the half-season finale for season six (which airs on November 29 in the US and November 30 here), returning in February.
Who the hell is Negan, anyway? Read our definitive guide to the character in the comics.