Jeffrey Dean Morgan is as surprised as the rest of us by AMC’s recent announcement of a spinoff series. Morgan, who plays Negan on The Walking Dead, was let in on the secret — that his character will survive the series — not long before fans.
Isle of the Dead is set to star Morgan’s Negan alongside Lauren Cohan’s Maggie, and the two will be slaying zombies in the once-vibrant Manhattan, New York. Of course, the promise of that series confirms that Negan and Maggie both survive whatever ending The Walking Dead will present. Morgan addressed the announcement during a visit to The Rich Eisen Show.
“Now that we’ve announced that there’s going to be a spin-off. I guess we don’t need to die. Spoiler Alert, folks. Sorry! I’m still not sure why we announced that already. It was sort of a shocker to me.”
Morgan was as surprised as fans not only by the spinoff, but that the announcement was made so far before the end of The Walking Dead. As fans know, the series is currently airing episodes in part 2 of the 3-part final season. He explained that he’s not allowed to talk about the ending of The Walking Dead, but can address the upcoming Isle of the Dead spinoff.
While some fans are unsure of the partnership between Negan and Maggie, others are thrilled for the ever-growing realm of The Walking Dead to continue, and to see more of two very different, but connected, characters.
The Walking Dead airs new episodes Sunday nights on AMC, and Isle of the Dead is currently slated for a 2023 release.