The Walking Dead might be about to reach double figures next year, but there’s a lot of life left in the undead franchise yet. AMC’s in the midst of launching what they’re calling a “multigenerational” expanded universe of spinoffs and TV movies.
The only ones officially announced so far are the trio of films that will star Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, following his exit from the series the other week. Many other characters from TWD past and present will be granted their own vehicles as well though, we’ve been told. And one that springs to mind as an obvious choice to lead a solo movie is Negan.
After all, creator Robert Kirkman already explored the villain’s origins in his Here’s Negan comic book miniseries, so there’s already pre-existing material to mine. Not only that, but when a fan asked Negan himself, Jeffrey Dean Morgan if he’d be up for it, the actor replied with an enthusiastic: “Hell yeah.” It’s not the first time he’s talked about starring in his own film as the character, either.
Likewise, Morgan has expressed interest in exploring the backstory of Negan at some point on TV and he went on to say as much again in this same conversational thread on Twitter. To him, it just makes so much sense as Kirkman’s comic’s out there waiting to be adapted.
I think it’s important to show how negan became negan. @RobertKirkman already put pen to paper… so I think to flesh that story out? That’s my hope. We shall see.
— Jeffrey Dean Morgan (@JDMorgan) November 13, 2018
It’s possible Morgan’s drumming up interest in a Negan movie as he’s getting the itch to stretch his legs a bit. So far, season 9 has kept the character behind bars following his defeat at the end of season 8. Within the world of The Walking Dead, he’s been cooped up 6 years and counting. Clearly it’s time he broke out again then and got to take Lucille for a swing or two, wouldn’t you say?
