The Walking Dead: Greg Nicotero Says Negan's Victims Are Not Dead

Major spoilers for The Walking Dead Season 7 premiere follow.

The day has come where Rick Grimes almost wishes he would have taken the easy way out when the CDC exploded back in The Walking Dead's first season. Instead, he has lived long enough to watch his wife, best friend, and several others die, culminating in the most brutal moments of his life in the Season 7 premiere on Sunday night.

Negan's entrance made a huge impact on not only the show but a couple of core characters' skulls. Both Abraham and Glenn were beaten to death by his "vampire bat" named Lucille in some of the most gruesome moments ever aired on cable televsion. They're gone. They're definitely gone. But according to The Walking Dead executive producer, Abraham and Glenn will never really die.

"Glenn is not dead; Abraham is not dead," Nicotero said. "Their spirit lives on and the fact that you have Maggie pregnant with his baby, and you have Sasha and Rosita carrying the memory of Abraham. There's more story to tell with the result of what happened with those people, so I certainly look at it a little differently."

Glenn's parting words will certainly never be forgotten by his wife Maggie or the millions of fans who were watching in horror. The first new hour of The Walking Dead in over six months saw a brutally beaten Glenn promise Maggie, "I'll find you," on his way out, which will resonate with fans regardless of how violent the episode was, according to Nicotero.

"If you think about when Merle or Hershel died, people were upset," Nicotero said. "Merle was a very despicable guy, but at the end, his last final act really turns him around. It's unfortunate that people want to take a negative spin on it, because as far as I'm concerned, I'm dedicated to watching a show because I want to see where the story's going to go next."

MORE on The Walking Dead season 7 premiere:

Kingdom Preview Released / Norman Reedus On Daryl's Future / Season 7 Premiere Recap (SPOILERS) / Who Is King Ezekiel / Where's Daryl Now? / Negan's Comic Book History /Twitter Reactions to Negan's Kill / Was the Premiere Too Violent?

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC. For complete coverage and insider info all season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.