Four The Walking Dead Cast Members Upgraded To Series Regulars

Heading into its seventh season on AMC, The Walking Dead has promoted four newcomer cast members to series regulars ahead of the premiere.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Austin Amelio, Tom Payne, and Xander Berkeley have all been bumped up. Morgan plays the menacing villain, Negan, and Amelio his cohort, Dwight. Payne plays the ninja-like ally to Rick, Jesus, and Berkeley is the arrogant leader of the Hilltop, Gregory.

Each of the actor’s joined The Walking Dead in the sixth season, with Amelio having appeared in the most episodes to date.

Comic book followers won’t be surprised by the move as each of the four characters go on to become serious players in The Walking Dead‘s game. Negan has become a focal point of the series with the most recent issue featuring the egomaniac on all 24-pages. In fact, (spoiler alert) the only character of the four who has been killed off on the black and white pages is Gregory.

The full list of series regulars for season seven includes: Andrew Lincoln (Rick), Norman Reedus (Daryl), Steven Yeun (Glenn), Lauren Cohan (Maggie), Chandler Riggs (Carl), Danai Gurira (Michonne), Melissa McBride (Carol), Michael Cudlitz (Abraham), Lennie James (Morgan), Sonequa Martin-Green (Sasha), Alanna Masterson (Tara), Christian Serratos (Rosita), Josh McDermitt (Eugene), Seth Gilliam (Father Gabriel), Ross Marquand (Aaron), Austin Nichols (Spencer), Morgan, Payne, Amelio and Berkeley.

We expect at least one of the series regulars to be dropped when the season 6 cliffhanger’s mystery is revealed in the season 7 premiere.

Notably not upgraded to series regulars are Steven Ogg, who debuted as a member of the Saviors in the season 6 finale, and Katelyn Nacon who plays Enid.

The Walking Dead will return for its seventh season in October. A new trailer will spawn at San Diego Comic Con on July 22.

(via THR)