Negan nearly lost Jeffrey Dean Morgan — a decade after Glenn, fans still won't let it go

Jeffrey Dean Morgan has said he came close to leaving The Walking Dead franchise after the second season of Dead City, telling interviewers he felt Negan had lost his charisma and sense of purpose. He also says fans still regularly confront and swear at him in public over Negan's killing of Glenn — roughly a decade after the scene aired. Negan, played by Morgan since 2016, entered the series as the leader of the Saviors, a group that subjugated other survivor communities and demanded tribute. Over the following seasons the character shifted from outright villain to antihero, and he now co-leads the spin-off The Walking Dead: Dead City alongside Lauren Cohan's Maggie Greene. The near-departure matters because Negan remains the franchise's defining antagonist; commentary cited by outlets covering the show holds that no villain introduced after him matched his impact. With Dead City's third season airing as of late July 2026, Morgan's decision to stay shapes where the story goes next.

Morgan nearly walked away from Negan

Nearly a decade after Negan killed Glenn on screen, the scene still follows Jeffrey Dean Morgan into the street. The actor says fans regularly confront him in public, swearing at him over the murder — a reaction that has persisted long after the character's turn toward antihero.

The strain of the role has, by his own account, gone further than awkward encounters. Morgan has said he came close to leaving The Walking Dead franchise after the second season of Dead City. According to reports of his comments, he felt Negan had lost his charisma and sense of purpose, and considered walking away from the character he has played since 2016.

What ultimately kept him in the franchise has not been made clear. Morgan continues in the role, with reports indicating he portrays Negan opposite Lauren Cohan's Maggie Greene in Dead City's third season, which was airing as of late July 2026.

From Saviors tyrant to franchise antihero

Negan arrived in The Walking Dead as the leader of the Saviors, a group that subjugated other survivor communities and demanded tribute from them. In the television series, his full name is Negan Smith. According to reports, Jeffrey Dean Morgan first played the character in the season 6 finale in 2016. Introduced as an outright antagonist, Negan gradually shifted over the course of the story into an antihero — a transformation that became central to the franchise's later years, including the spin-off Dead City, where Morgan continues in the role. Commentary on the series holds that no villain introduced after Negan ever matched his impact as The Walking Dead's defining antagonist, a legacy that still shapes how the character is written and received.

The 'Here's Negan' episode that defined him

The character's most focused examination came in the season 10 finale, "Here's Negan," the twenty-second and final episode of that season and the 153rd episode of the series overall. Directed by Laura Belsey and written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, the episode premiered on the AMC+ streaming service on April 2, 2021, before airing on AMC television two days later, on April 4, 2021.

The episode stands as a landmark in the character's run, arriving five years after Jeffrey Dean Morgan first played Negan in 2016. By that point the former leader of the Saviors had already begun his long shift from outright villain to something closer to an antihero, and the finale gave that transformation its fullest treatment.

1. 2016

   Jeffrey Dean Morgan first played Negan in the season 6 finale of The Walking Dead.

2. April 2, 2021

   The episode 'Here's Negan' premiered on the AMC+ streaming service.

3. April 4, 2021

   'Here's Negan' aired on AMC television.

4. after Dead City season 2

   Morgan said he came close to leaving the franchise, feeling Negan had lost his charisma and sense of purpose.

5. late July 2026

   Season 3 of The Walking Dead: Dead City was airing.

6. August 2, 2026

   Dead City Season 3 Episode 2, titled 'Haven,' was released.

Dead City season 3 moves the story on

The third season of The Walking Dead: Dead City was airing as of late July 2026, according to reports. Season 3 Episode 2, titled "Haven," was released on August 2, 2026. In that episode, Maggie reportedly seeks a fresh start for herself and her group, continuing the uneasy dynamic between Lauren Cohan's Maggie Greene and Morgan's Negan that anchors the spin-off.

The following episode deals with the fallout of Maggie and Renata using a light beacon to draw other survivors to Manhattan, according to episode coverage. The season has also removed a villain characterized in commentary as the show's worst, a development reported to have opened the door to new storylines. Ahead of the spin-off's debut, it was reported that Negan would revert to some old habits and behaviors in Dead City, though how far that plays into the current season's arc remains to be seen as the episodes continue rolling out.

What comes next for the franchise

The Walking Dead's chief content officer Scott Gimple has hinted at further developments for the franchise's universe, according to reports, with fan interest in a reunion between Rick and Negan among the ideas raised. Whether such a reunion is planned, and in what form, has not been confirmed.

The franchise's reach may also grow through a new co-exclusive arrangement between Netflix and AMC Global Media, reportedly valued at $500 million. Details of what the agreement covers and when it takes effect remain unclear.

For now, both the reunion talk and the streaming deal remain unconfirmed reports, and neither AMC nor the parties involved have set out firm plans publicly.

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