Greg Nicotero Promises Greatest ‘The Walking Dead’ Villain, More Crossovers

The Walking Dead will be introducing its best villain to date in Season Nine if executive producer Greg Nicotero‘s opinion becomes fact.

The series is set to introduce the Whisperers, a barbaric group of survivors living among the dead by wearing their skin and talking at a whisper. The group’s leader Alpha will be played by Samantha Morton, arriving about mid-way through the show’s ninth season. With Andrew Lincoln set to depart the AMC show earlier in Season Nine, Nicotero hopes fans will continue to watch without Rick Grimes for some content and cast members he is truly proud of.

“If they don’t stick around post-Rick, they’re going to miss out on probably the greatest villain The Walking Dead has ever had,” Nicotero said. “That would make me really sad. I have some unbelievable pictures of Alpha in my phone. I’ve been begging Scott Gimple and AMC to let me post it. It’s a whole different flavor. It’s such a great story. I love the Whisperers in the comic book and I think they’re better on the show. I give a tremendous amount of credit to Angela [Kang] for really getting a chance to put her stamp on the show and it feels a bit like Season Three again.”

As for whether or not any of The Walking Dead‘s characters of past or present will meet any of those from Fear the Walking Dead in crossover fashion as Morgan Jones has, Nicotero is certainly not ruling out such a possibility.

“I think it’s safe to say that that’s a feasibility,” Nicotero said. “That’s very possible. I love Fear the Walking Dead. I love where the show’s going. I miss Kim [Dickens]. I will say, honestly, I miss Kim because she’s an amazing actress. But, you know, I feel that the casting just like on Walking Dead, with Jenna [Elfman] and Garret [Dillahunt] and Maggie [Grace[, the casting’s been great. We’re creating characters on Fear the Walking Dead that we fall in love with. And, I’m telling you, this season on Walking Dead, I mean you were there, Samantha Morton… Unbelievable. I’m a little scared of her and she follows me around becasue she likes talking to me! In between takes, she’s like, ‘I really like talking to you!’ I’m like, ‘Alright?’”

To summarize: “The cast this season is unbelievable.”

Fear the Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC. The Walking Dead returns for its ninth season on Oct. 7, 2018. For more updates and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter!