The Walking Dead: 5 Things We Know About Negan on Season 7

Updated on Oct 12, 2016 at 8:30 AM

It's been a long time since The Walking Dead's dramatic season finale, and we still have so much to discuss. Negan is the talk of the town (in a terrible way), and we've already analyzed his twisted game of "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" and researched what becomes of him in the comic books. We know a few details about the upcoming season, including exactly where it will pick up. But what exactly will happen with Negan? After all, his storyline probably won't follow exactly what happens in the comics. (Or will it?) Here's what we do know about his arc next season, straight from the cast and producers.

The Show's Dynamic Is Taking a Major Turn

Now that Negan is in town, things are completely different. When asked if Negan's presence will change Rick and his group's way of life, executive producer Greg Nicotero said, "without a doubt." He continued: "The flag has been thrown. Negan and the Saviors are a formidable force, and I don't believe our group can wiggle out of this confrontation. If you read the comics you get a good sense of how these different worlds all have to deal with Negan's group and their plan."

Rick's Reign Is (Temporarily) Over

Perhaps the most chilling quote about what to expect from Negan came from Andrew Lincoln, who acknowedged that Rick is about to take a back seat to the new character. "It's Negan's land now," he told The Hollywood Reporter.

We'll See Things From His Perspective

The Walking Dead loves to play with perspective — just consider the First-Person Theory from the finale — and we might be getting a look at the world through Negan's eyes. "With Negan, what you see is what you get," showrunner Scott M. Gimple told The Hollywood Reporter. "With Negan, it's about positive reinforcement. He's approached the world in a certain way and been rewarded again and again. We will see stories from his perspective, but the guy you see is the guy he is. There won't be this reveal [about who is] behind the mask [like there was with the Governor]."

We Might Even Get to See His Backstory

While Negan is one of the biggest villains in The Walking Dead's history, there is a reason for his madness. He's been fighting zombies just as long as Rick, and he has developed a way to cope. "I talked to Robert Kirkman last night after we did Talking Dead and he is doing the backstory of Negan right now but whether or not — or when — we see that, and I hope we do, I can't answer that," Jeffrey Dean Morgan said to THR. "But hopefully we'll find out more as we go . . . and Negan has a lot of story to come. It's going to be an interesting road."

We'll Get More Speeches

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Nicotero not only confirmed (again) that we will find out who Negan kills in the first episode but also that Negan isn't done waxing poetic: "He's the kind of guy who imagines himself on stage at a high school production and he loves every second of it. So, I don't really see a lot of quiet contemplative moments with Negan. I feel like with Negan it's really going to be about him gesticulating and him sort of relishing in the sound of his own voice while he commands the stage in front of whoever's alive."