'Yes, who was at the receiving end of Negan's bat will be revealed in the first episode,' executive producer Greg Nicotero promises.
- Jul 14, 2016
AceShowbiz - AMC has unveiled the first image of "The Walking Dead" season 7. Teasing fans with the aftermath of the season 6 finale cliffhanger, the photo which is released via EW highlights none other than the new villain Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan).
Negan looks threatening with his barbed wire-wrapped baseball bat called Lucille, while his followers are seen standing behind. "Yes, who was at the receiving end of Negan's bat will be revealed in the first episode," says executive producer Greg Nicotero, who directed the season 6 finale and the season 7 opener.
Exclusive: The first 'The Walking Dead' season 7 photo and intel have been REVEALED: https://t.co/KfqiR59QV9 #TWD pic.twitter.com/xIURfW8cBj
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) July 13, 2016
Nicotero also reveals what kind of guy Negan is. "He's the kind of guy who imagines himself on stage at a high school production and he loves every second of it," he says, "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."
As Negan will likely have a pivotal role in season 7, Morgan has recently been upgraded to series regular along with Tom Payne, Austin Amelio and Xander Berkeley for the upcoming installment. Payne recurred in season 6 as Jesus (a new ally to Rick), Amelio stars as Dwight (a member of Negan's Savior group) and Berkeley plays Gregory (the shady leader of the Hilltop Colony).
"The Walking Dead" will return with the new season in the fall. The premiere date is expected to be announced during the show's panel at the San Diego Comic-Con on Friday, July 22.