As well all know, Negan's addition to The Walking Dead universe is going to be the biggest game-changer that has hit Rick & Co. so far, and it's only going to get worse for some of them. (Especially the ones who didn't die, since it can't get much worse than that.) But we very likely won't have to worry about Aaron taking the fatal fall during the Season 7 premiere, as actor Ross Marquand has come forth and explained how Aaron will be changed by Negan's actions. I mean "hypothetically changed," since secrets and all. Here's how Marquand put it.
For Aaron specifically, he's supremely worried now whether it's Rick at the helm or himself or someone else in Alexandria, now that Negan's group knows about them, is his community safe?
Because The Walking Dead doesn't have a clear layout for how its timeline moves forward, it's easy to forget that Rick's group hasn't really been a part of the Alexandria Safe Haven all that long - a little more than three months, give or take - meaning Aaron hasn't exactly known these people for all of his life. Just about everything he's experienced with them has been rife with trauma and disaster. Sure, there are pros to Rick taking over as leader, the biggest problems occurred when he got there, and look where they are now. From a relatively secure utopia to another one of Negan's supply depots in just three months. Aaron is definitely justified in hypothetically having doubts about the future of his home, even if we're all glad Pete is no longer in it.
Rick was the brains behind the Savior ambush that really sparked up Negan's vengeance, so he will no doubt be blamed for the mystery victim's death by some within Alexandria and beyond. No one wants to take Negan's side on anything, of course, but he probably wouldn't be putting Lucille through someone's hairline had Rick backed off. He still would have eventually found them and forced them to pay tithes and such, but possibly without any bloodshed.
Here's more of Marquand explaining Aaron's potential new viewpoint to Comicbook.com.
He's been with the Alexandrians since the beginning. Is he going to be able to protect not only his lover, Eric, but is he going to be able to protect the community itself? Is he going to be able to protect the people that live there? That's a real key. I think for him he's always known that diplomacy is his best strong suit, but now he's faced with a group that doesn't respond to diplomacy at all. He's going to have to decide, 'Can I diplomatically deal with these people or will I have to take arms against them and see if it's going to be a showdown?'
Even if Rick hasn't been inside of Alexandria as long as Aaron has, the latter still knows Rick well enough to know that trying to oppose him is usually a soon-to-be-dead fool's errand. That said, Rick is going to be a broken man when Season 7 gets underway and everyone is dealing with the big death. That might just be the best time for someone in Aaron's position to try and stage a coup. A hypothetical coup, that is. Maybe Aaron and Eric will decide that trying to leave the group and make it out in the world on their own will be the best decision. He might not be able to leave his BFF Maggie, though. Ah, the decisions of a normal daily life.
The Walking Dead will return to AMC for the super-depressing debut of Season 7 on Sunday, October 23, at 9:00 p.m. ET. To see when everything else is coming, check out our fall premiere schedule.
