During The Walking Dead: Dead City press conference at New York Comic Con 2024 on Friday, series Executive Producer and star Jeffrey Dean Morgan talked about the character evolution of the franchise’s favorite villain-turned-antihero.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan
” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_8445-scaled-e1729305499230.jpeg?fit=225%2C300&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_8445-scaled-e1729305499230.jpeg?fit=740%2C987&ssl=1″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button” class=”wp-image-586446 size-medium” src=”https://static.beescdn.com/news.myworldfix.com/2024/10/20241019093736444.jpeg” alt=”NYCC 2024: ‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’s’ Jeffrey Dean Morgan: Negan’s evolution is “really kind of coming to a head this year.”” width=”225″ height=”300″ title=”IMG 8445 scaled e1729305499230″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_8445-scaled-e1729305499230.jpeg?resize=225%2C300&ssl=1 225w, https://i0.wp.com/aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_8445-scaled-e1729305499230.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_8445-scaled-e1729305499230.jpeg?resize=1152%2C1536&ssl=1 1152w, https://i0.wp.com/aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_8445-scaled-e1729305499230.jpeg?resize=1536%2C2048&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_8445-scaled-e1729305499230.jpeg?w=1920&ssl=1 1920w, https://i0.wp.com/aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_8445-scaled-e1729305499230.jpeg?w=1480&ssl=1 1480w” sizes=”(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px” ezimgfmt=”rs rscb4 src ng ngcb4 srcset”>
Jeffrey Dean Morgan
“I think after all the years of playing one character, it’s the amount of growth that I think Negan has, just inside of Negan, that we’ve been able to show,” Morgan said. “But it has been interesting to track him from when he first came out of the trailer to the clearing to where he is this season. It’s been a lot of a rollercoaster ride for Negan, and I think it’s really kind of coming to a head this year. I mean not done growing but some stuff that we’ve never seen Negan do we will see this year, some stuff that I think it will shock people.”
Morgan was quick to pull back a little and assure us Negan isn’t completely reformed. “And yet there’s always that old Negan in there. He doesn’t lose track ever of who he is and where he came from.”
“I think, in this season, there’s so many high highs for people and low lows for people,” said co-star Gaius Charles. “You know, I can’t get into any, like, specifics of it, but to get to do that range within the season, and sometimes within an episode, it’s just really fun to act. And I hope it will be fun to watch.”
Lauren Cohan
” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_8442-scaled-e1729305723488.jpeg?fit=225%2C300&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_8442-scaled-e1729305723488.jpeg?fit=740%2C987&ssl=1″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button” class=”wp-image-586447 size-medium” src=”https://static.beescdn.com/news.myworldfix.com/2024/10/20241019093741849.jpeg” alt=”NYCC 2024: ‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’s’ Jeffrey Dean Morgan: Negan’s evolution is “really kind of coming to a head this year.”” width=”225″ height=”300″ title=”IMG 8442 scaled e1729305723488″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_8442-scaled-e1729305723488.jpeg?resize=225%2C300&ssl=1 225w, https://i0.wp.com/aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_8442-scaled-e1729305723488.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_8442-scaled-e1729305723488.jpeg?resize=1152%2C1536&ssl=1 1152w, https://i0.wp.com/aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_8442-scaled-e1729305723488.jpeg?resize=1536%2C2048&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_8442-scaled-e1729305723488.jpeg?w=1920&ssl=1 1920w, https://i0.wp.com/aiptcomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_8442-scaled-e1729305723488.jpeg?w=1480&ssl=1 1480w” sizes=”(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px” ezimgfmt=”rs rscb4 src ng ngcb4 srcset”>
Lauren Cohan
The Walking Dead: Dead City executive Producer and star Lauren Cohan discussed the allyship between Negan and her character, Maggie Rhee. “There’s something that has gotten to be revealed over the course of a long time that is a shared value set that they both have,” she said, “this recognition that is, despite these things we employ to survive, that there’s A) the potential for growth and B) a lot more in common than we know. And I love exploring that because that’s a nice thing to realize in general.”
Cohan continued that Maggie and Negan just knowing each other for so long now is an important element in their dynamic. “There’s something in that. You know, there’s a reflection in it. ”
“I think, at this point, after so many years together,” Jeffrey Dean Morgan added, “and especially the last couple of years — though they would never admit it — I think there’s a respect and a kind of weird trust that they have. I think, if Negan is in trouble that he thinks Maggie may come for him. And that’s odd considering, you know, how they met and the hatred that’s always been there. But within that hatred, there’s a lot of shared shit that has led, I think, to them having a sort of respect for each other, though I don’t know if they would ever voice that.”
“There’s also something Negan can give Maggie and, I think, Maggie can give Negan that I think is — that there’s a forgiveness and there’s a recognition in each other that is, I don’t know, has kept them–” Cohan said, struggling to find the right word.
“Connected,” Jeffrey Dean Morgan said, finishing her thought.
“–connected,” Cohan agreed.
“I don’t know if they can be apart,” Morgan concluded, “as fucked up as that is.”