'The Walking Dead' Season 7 news & update: How long will Negan stay as the zombie drama's villain?

By Shane Olga Ocampo / Dec 02, 2016 08:22 AM EST
(Photo : Youtube) How long will Negan stay as the villain on The Walking Dead?

In the world of "The Walking Dead," not all villains stick around for the long haul. In the case of the show's current Big Bad, Negan, there's a new development that might be good news to his cult followers.

Negan's portrayer, Jeffrey Dean Morgan has confirmed that he will be staying a little bit longer than expected on "The Walking Dead." On his most recent appearance on the Howard Stern Show, the actor revealed that Negan's reign will continue until the show's upcoming eight season.

"I know I will be on board for Season 8. We've finished [Season 7] a week ago," Morgan said.

"The next two, I'm really big in. I'm f-ing heavy in those."

When "The Walking Dead" announced that they will finally introduce Negan, the excitement level of fans was unparalleled. His presence on the show even received more attention on the Season 7 premiere when he viciously killed Abraham and Glenn with his iconic bat, Lucille.

Although the episode was slammed for its extreme violence, fans of "The Walking Dead" were still very pleased with how Jeffrey Dean Morgan interpreted Negan's sociopathic personality.

To hear that Morgan will reprise his Negan role until "The Walking Dead" Season 8 is evidence that AMC and the producers really liked his performance and they want to see more.

In light of this development, "The Walking Dead" executive producer Scott Gimple has revealed that the show will tackle Negan's backstory in future episodes.

"I do believe yes, it's in the future. You know, I'm always careful about this, [because] things can absolutely change," Gimple told Yahoo TV.

"There's a loose plan in place I have."

As to what happens next, "The Walking Dead" will offer viewers a deeper look at the Sanctuary and the world of Saviors. Elsewhere, members of Alexandria look will look for supplies.

Titled "Sing Me a Song," the episode will air on Sunday, Dec. 4 on AMC.