Jeffrey Dean Morgan Wants Negan "Going Down Swinging" on The Walking Dead

When The Walking Dead ends, actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan wants Negan going solo or "going down swinging." Negan came in swinging Lucille (and has since retired the barbwire-wrapped baseball bat for a crowbar), and he might go out the same way if the Reapers hunt him down with Maggie (Lauren Cohan) on their mission to Meridian. Appearing on The Rich Eisen Show ahead of the mid-season finale ominously titled "For Blood," Morgan said he doesn't know how The Walking Dead ends but knows the ending he wants for Negan: 

"One of two ways. Either kind of walking off into the sunset solo or going down swinging," Morgan said. "Who I'm swinging on I don't think even matters, but I wouldn't be opposed to Negan just crashing the party and ending strong and just taking out everybody (laughs)." 

Asked if he will have a say in how Negan finishes up on The Walking Dead, Morgan answered, "I would love to. And obviously, we've deviated enough from the comics, although in the comics Negan does survive."

Morgan says he hasn't been told how the show ends but believes fans will enjoy the final episodes despite the absence of key characters like Carl (Chandler Riggs), Michonne (Danai Gurira), and Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln). 

"No one knows — well, I don't know — if our ending will coincide with how the comics ended because it's kind of so different," he said. "We've lost Rick, and Carl, and Michonne. Some of the big characters who survive in the comics are no longer with us at this point. So it will be interesting to see where we go and how we end this. I just think the fans will dig it and that's kind of the key."

If Negan is still standing come the series finale in 2022, Morgan hopes to return for a Negan sequel spin-off. He told TVLine, "If I was to do more, I would like to move forward with the story and not backward. I loved what we showed [of his history] in 'Here's Negan,' but now we've done a lot of that story. We could do a short series on how the Saviors came to be, which would be kind of interesting, but I'm more looking forward."

"We've shown these different sides of Negan over the past few years," Morgan continued. "Now I'd like to see, after this ends, what happens to him next. I find that possibility to be a lot more interesting than going back in time."

Follow the author @CameronBonomolo on Twitter for all things TWD. The Walking Dead Season 11 airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC.