Where In ‘The Walking Dead’ World Is Negan’s Backstory?


Previously, AMC offered up that fans might get a delicious sneak peek into the backstory of The Walking Dead‘s villain, Negan. But, just when is that supposed to occur in Season 7?

SPOILER ALERT: This article discusses Season 7 of AMC’s The Walking Dead and speculates about upcoming episodes as well as discusses the comic books the series is based on. Please proceed with caution if you wish to avoid spoilers.

Remember when it seemed fans would get to see Negan’s (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) backstory in Season 7 of The Walking Dead? Since that announcement, it has gone quiet on just when this reveal would occur. However, with only three episodes left for Season 7, time is running out in regard to Negan’s backstory. So, when is AMC likely to show his story?

J[Image by Gene Page/AMC]

When Image Comics released Negan’s story in comic form, fans were excited to finally see how Negan became the super-villain he is in the comics. It was released at a time when Negan was starting to appear in the TV version of The Walking Dead. “Here’s Negan” was an edition of the comic that was delivered directly to Negan’s portrayer, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, prior to general release to the public, according to The Hollywood Reporter. This comic explained how Negan evolved form a high school teacher into a man who will bash victims to death with his barbed-wire covered baseball bat, Lucille. So, will this story get any airtime in the television series of The Walking Dead?

According to The Hollywood Reporter, back in October of last year, Walking Dead creator, Robert Kirkman, is not even sure Negan’s backstory will make it onto the TV show.

“It’s not something we’ve really thought about. That story works best when Negan has been around for many years. I’m not going to go on record to say that Negan lasts as long in the show as he does in the comic. You never know. But if we do get to that point, it’d be nice to see that story adapted… It’s a great way to get more context into who this guy is. It’d be neat but there are no plans as of yet.”

This was after Jeffrey Dean Morgan did an interview with Entertainment Weekly that suggested Negan’s backstory would appear on The Walking Dead, in particular, Season 7.

“In finding out more about Negan, we’ll find out how his life has been since the zombie apocalypse started, since the outbreak began, and we’ll find out sort of how Negan has come to be who he is.”

He further explained that Negan’s backstory will get some answers early on in Season 7 of The Walking Dead.

[Image by Gene Page/AMC]

“We’re going to find out some backstory very quickly on how the Saviors operate and how Negan operates,” Jeffrey Dean Morgan told Entertainment Weekly.

“I think by mid-season or so a lot of those questions will be answered.”

It is most likely this statement that led to the rise of the theory that Negan’s backstory would be explained in Season 7 of The Walking Dead. This is why, in later interviews, such as the one with The Hollywood Reporter, it is made clear there is no plan yet for Negan’s backstory to show up in The Walking Dead just yet.

However, that’s not to say it won’t turn up at some point. It has been confirmed by Jeffrey Dean Morgan via an interview with CinemaBlend, that Negan will definitely survive into Season 8 of The Walking Dead.

“I know I will be around for Season 8,” Jeffrey Dean Morgan revealed. “I think we all knew that.”

So, if fans don’t get a glimpse into Negan’s backstory in Season 7, chances are, it could happen in Season 8. In fact, if AMC do decide to go against the comic book cannon and kill off Negan in the All Out War, a backstory episode showing a time when Negan was more likable would be a perfect way to get the audience to like Negan before he is killed off.

However, if Negan’s backstory were to appear soon, what is the likelihood of it happening in the remaining episodes of Season 7?

Promotional stills and the synopsis for Episode 14 of The Walking Dead revealed this episode will deal heavily with Hilltop. The official synopsis for Episode 14 is below.

“The Saviors visit The Hilltop.”

The Saviors do get a mention in the synopsis, so it is possible Negan’s story could unfold along with the storyline.

According to Digital Spy, the synopsis for Episode 15 of The Walking Dead Season 7 is as follows.

“A group of Alexandrians embarks on a journey; one member of the group must make a heartbreaking decision.”

This synopsis makes no reference at all to the Saviors or Negan, so it seems unlikely Negan’s backstory will appear in this episode. Digital Spy also offers up a title name — but no synopsis — for the Season 7 finale episode of The Walking Dead. It will be titled, “Do It Now.” It is hard to make an assumption either way as to where this episode will lead. Although, as pointed out in a previous Inquisitr article, it has been confirmed major death will occur in this episode.

When do you think Negan’s backstory will appear in AMC’s The Walking Dead Season 7? Let us know your thoughts and theories by commenting below!

Episode 14, (entitled “The Other Side”) of Season 7 of AMC’s The Walking Dead returns on Sunday, March 19 at 9 p.m. ET.

[Featured Image by Gene Page/AMC]

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