Will Negan Get Killed This Season? Here's What Jeffrey Dean Morgan Says

negan walking dead

Even though The Walking Dead hasn't featured Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Negan in all of the episodes in which his name is spoken, the dastardly villain's presence nonetheless weighs heavy every Sunday night. And for viewers like me who relish Negan's heinousness, there was some great news shared earlier today by Morgan, who confirmed that the leather-bound leader will avoid getting killed off before Season 8 comes around. Here's how the actor put it.

I know I will be around for Season 8. I think we all knew that.

There's a valid point in Jeffrey Dean Morgan's words, since Negan's reign over The Walking Dead's more virtuous survivors is far from a short-lived arc in Robert Kirkman's source material. As such, many of us had already put all of our eggs in the basket labeled "Negan in Season 8." But it would be naive to think that The Walking Dead's audience is entirely made up of comic readers, or that every viewer keeps up with every bit of news and speculation that comes out. (I know a place they could find such news and speculation, though.) However you look at it, it's good news. Just because we expect the sun to rise every morning doesn't make for any disappointments when it does rise.

Well, I guess not everyone who hears this news is going to be happy, since there are many people out there who hate Negan for the deadly mayhem he's already brought to the show and its core characters. And it's not like he's going to completely neuter himself and act nice and casual for the remainder of Season 7. He's a force like no others that Rick & Co. have come across, and his domineering nature cannot and will not be contained by a single season's episode count, regardless of others' opinions on the matter.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan confirmed Negan's future for an enjoyable interview on The Howard Stern Show, where he also went more into why he doesn't totally see Negan as the bad guy. The actor also offered up an ominously pessimistic tease for what fans can expect from Negan as the show's midseason finale draws near.

The next two, I'm really big in. I'm fucking heavy in those.

That sounds like very, very bad news for someone. Or everyone, really, since Negan isn't someone who gets picky about who he's fucking with. (But particularly this person, if things play out accordingly.) The Walking Dead has produced a mixed bag of critical responses regarding the fragmented storytelling of Season 7, but it's likely a more streamlined narrative will surface, since almost all the new areas and characters have been introduced. Now, we get to sit back and watch Negan bring about a war.

The Walking Dead airs Sunday nights on AMC, and only two more episodes are left in the first half of Season 7. To see what'll be showing up in the hiatus, check out our fall TV schedule and our midseason premiere schedule

Nick Venable
Assistant Managing Editor

Nick is a Cajun Country native and an Assistant Managing Editor with a focus on TV and features. His humble origin story with CinemaBlend began all the way back in the pre-streaming era, circa 2009, as a freelancing DVD reviewer and TV recapper.  Nick leapfrogged over to the small screen to cover more and more television news and interviews, eventually taking over the section for the current era and covering topics like Yellowstone, The Walking Dead and horror. Born in Louisiana and currently living in Texas — Who Dat Nation over America’s Team all day, all night — Nick spent several years in the hospitality industry, and also worked as a 911 operator. If you ever happened to hear his music or read his comics/short stories, you have his sympathy.