‘The Walking Dead’ Season 7 Promotes Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan as Series Regular Along with 3 Other Characters; Maggie Bludgeoned to Death?

‘The Walking Dead’ season 7 will feature Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan as a series regular together with three new characters. Meanwhile, new rumors suggest that Negan’s mysterious murder victim from season 6 may be Lauren Cohan’s beloved character Maggie.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Morgan’s villainous baseball bat-wielding Negan is set to become a series regular in the incoming season together with Tom Payne’s Jesus, Austin Amelio’s Dwight, and Xander Berkeley’s Gregory.

The four new casting additions brings series regulars to a total of 20 including Andrew Lincoln’s Rick, Norman Reedus’ Daryl, Steven Yeun’s Glenn, Danai Gurira’s Michonne, Chandler Riggs’ Carl, Melissa McBride’s Carol, and Lennie James’ Morgan.

Morgan’s Negan is the show’s newest antagonist and was last seen bludgeoning a key character to death in the final scenes of season 6’s cliffhanger finale. TWD Season 7 will seek to answer the identity of Negan’s murder victim. New fan theories suggest that Lauren Cohan’s sick and pregnant Maggie has been chosen to die in his hands.

According to TV Guide, Cohan was spotted just once since filming for season 7 commenced. She was present for the filming of multiple death scenes for 'The Walking Dead' incoming season premiere but has been absent from the Georgia set since.

In the original comic books by Robert Kirkman, Negan’s victim was Maggie’s husband Glenn. However, it is still entirely possible that the series would stray from the original story arc and focus on Maggie’s brutal death instead.

Maggie was first introduced as a recurring character in season 2 and became a series regular in season 3. The character was well received by critics and fans alike.

Executive producer Greg Nicotero acknowledged that TWD season 6’s cliffhanger polarized fans of the show but explained that it was essential to storytelling. According to IGN, he explained that ending season 6 the way that they did would usher in a new chapter in the character’s lives in the incoming season. He said said, "It propels our people. It affects our people profoundly, as it does in the comic book. That changes everyone's direction."

Nicotero added, "The main thing about Season 7 is establishing that the world isn't what everybody thinks it is, the world out there… Season 7 of The Walking Dead, there's all new worlds that we're going to meet, so it wouldn't have made sense to end a chapter and then start it halfway through the next chapter. You want to end in one place and pick it up."

‘The Walking Dead’ season 7 is scheduled to premiere on AMC on October 2016. Since the series debuted on the network on October 2010, it received numerous accolades and nominations.