"Pain Is Coming" For Negan In 'The Walking Dead' Season Finale

The Walking Dead star Jeffrey Dean Morgan says tonight's season 8 finale will prove satisfying for fans hoping to see Negan get what's coming to him.

"The end of [season 8] is crazy. It's going to be very satisfying for a lot of people, especially the people who don't like Negan, they might find some certain joy," Morgan told USA Today.

For his Savior leader villain, who has menaced Rick Grimes and company across the past two seasons, "There could be a little pain coming," Morgan said. "Pain is coming."

Negan first burst onto the scene in 6x16, dramatically traumatizing Rick Grimes and his people by brutally executing longtime survivors Abraham and Glenn, the brunt of those murders being shown in all their gory and graphic detail in 7x01.

While Negan has been relatively toned down this past season, which used ancillary characters like Father Gabriel and Jadis to peer behind the veil, forcing the bad guy to open up about his past — like his dead wife and the reasoning behind his connection to barbwire-wrapped baseball bat Lucille.

Even though Negan is fresh off the hands-on murder of his former right hand man, Simon, the actor said Negan looked better than Rick over the course of the season.

"What's been interesting this year is Rick and Negan have flipped," Morgan said. "Rick is kind of off his rocker right now. And Negan is the voice of reason."

Viewers may have found themselves sympathizing with Negan, but "he is the villain," Morgan said, explaining, "I play him as the hero of his own movie."

"He's got redeeming qualities. He thinks he's doing right," Morgan added. "And I think the more layers we can show, the more interesting the villain is."

During an appearance on The Howard Stern Show earlier this month, Morgan made his case for Rick being worse than Negan:

"Rick killed 50 of my people while they slept," Morgan answered, later telling Good Morning America Rick and his people might be the good guys — but their hands are just as dirty.

"I think at this point in the story, everybody who has made it this far in this apocalypse has done some very horrible things," Morgan said.

"If we had been following Negan for eight years, we would be on Negan's side and Rick would be horrible. I mean, look at the stuff these guys have done, they're at least as bad as what I've done."

While speaking to press about Rampage, now the number one movie in America, Morgan said he is frequently on the receiving end of real life hatred and abuse cast his way for his role as Negan.

Rampage is now playing. The Walking Dead's extended season 8 finale airs tonight at 9/8c on AMC.