Jeffrey Dean Morgan signs on to play the villain Negan on The Walking Dead

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Fans of The Walking Dead comic series have been waiting for certain characters to hit the TV iteration, and come the end of this season, it looks like one of the big ones will be making his first appearance. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jeffrey Dean Morgan has just signed on as the villainous Negan for AMC's The Walking Dead.

For those unfamiliar with the character, Negan is the leader of a group of survivors called the Saviors, who subjugate other communities in the area for resources in return for their protection against zombies. In the comics, Rick Grimes and his crew are ambushed by the Saviors and forced to obey Negan's rules and orders. As you can imagine, this doesn't exactly sit well with our heroes who have to contend with this self-appointed king and his baseball bat wrapped in barbed wired, affectionately named Lucille.

Word is that Negan will make his first appearance in the season six finale of Walking Dead, before returning as a regular in the next season. You undoubtedly remember Morgan when he played The Comedian to perfection in Zack Snyder's WATCHMEN, and he'll also be playing a bit role as Thomas Wayne in the upcoming BATMAN V SUPERMAN. Given the character-driven nature of The Walking Dead, this is a huge win for fans of the show!

WATCHMEN may not have gotten it all right, but Jeffrey Dean Morgan nailed The Comedian.