The Walking Dead will tell Negan‘s back story, with a bit of help from his new friend Eugene Porter.
During The Walking Dead Season 8 preview special on AMC on Sunday night, Negan actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan was asked about his villain’s relationship with the traitorous Eugene. While Morgan was quick to point out Negan’s genuine appreciation for the mullet-rocking survivor, the most intriguing bit was an indication that Eugene will help bring out some of Negan’s past.
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“The little slivers of backstory that we’re hopefully will find out, it’s important to have someone like Josh, or Eugene, on Negan’s side,” Morgan said. “Eugene wants to know things. So, it’s been a good conduit.”
Previously, showrunner Scott Gimple has promised Negan’s back story as comic book fans know it — or at least some version of it — will come to AMC’s The Walking Dead. “I do believe yes, it’s in the future,” Gimple said. “You know, I’m always careful about this, [because] things can absolutely change. There’s a loose plan in place I have.”
“I take that Here’s Negan story as the backstory,” Gimple said. “There’s some aspects of it that will probably be cool [on the show]. It’s some fairly far-flung stuff… in the future, you will see some stuff from that.”
As for Negan and Eugene’s relationship, it’s business as usual when The Walking Dead returns for its eighth season. “I think he’s an important piece of the puzzle for Negan and his group,” Morgan said. “I think Negan really respects what Eugene brings to the table and we keep finding out, Negan keeps on finding out more about, and the more he finds out, the more gleeful he gets about this guy being on his side. Josh [McDermitt] is a really fun actor to play with. These scenes that we get to do together have been great.”
Gimple points out the Eugene’s allegiance relies heavily on being kept safe, possibly teasing a swap as Rick’s army rallies against the Saviors. “Being on Negan’s side is a very safe place to be, in general, and sometimes maybe not,” Gimple said.
The Walking Dead‘s sibling series Fear the Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 pm ET on AMC. The Walking Dead will return for its eighth season on October 22, 2017. The Season Eight premiere will mark 100 episodes overall for the popular AMC series. For complete coverage and insider info all season long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.
