Ever since fans discovered that Negan’s (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) iconic barbed wire bat, Lucille, was named after his dead wife, they have been eagerly awaiting his backstory. The same could be said for comic book fans who only recently got their wish fulfilled with the Here’s Negan edition of the comics.
Now, as AMC’s TV adaptation of The Walking Dead gears up to also tell Negan’s story, the series showrunner Angela Kang has revealed that the storyline will deviate from what occurred in the comics.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Kang gave fans an insight into what they can expect to see regarding Negan’s devastating backstory.
“I think that in some ways it’s very true to the comic, in that it is true to the spirit of the love that he has for Lucille, but there’s a lot in our adaptation that is original to the show, but in a way that I think supports the same sort of emotional journey that I think he takes on the page,” Kang revealed.
A part of this has come from the fact that Negan’s past has already been teased and spoken of in The Walking Dead. Piecing all of those snippets together, Kang hoped that by including new content it would show the emotional ride in a “very strong way.”
Kang also shared that there would be some direct — or nearly direct — dialogue from the comics that will entertain those who have already read the Here’s Negan edition.
The Walking Dead Season 10C: What we know about Negan’s backstory so far
AMC has already teased the upcoming episode with some pictures and video footage. So, from this, viewers already know that Dean Morgan’s real-life wife, Hilarie Burton, will play the role of Negan’s wife, Lucille.
Judging by the wigs she wears and the fact that she is shown with a drip in her arm in one image suggests that AMC will follow a similar story seen in the comics. However, there is one image from Episode 22 of Season 10C that shows Negan also hooked up to a drip.
As yet, it is unclear exactly what is going on in this image and if it is tied to a flashback scene. The handcuff on his other wrist more likely suggests this is a present-day image. Needless to say, it adds an intriguing layer to Negan’s story in the upcoming season of The Walking Dead and could very well be the trigger that causes his flashback scenes.
Negan and Maggie will clash in Season 10C of The Walking Dead
Along with Negan’s backstory, the network has also teased that his and Maggie’s (Lauren Cohan) storyline will cross in a “chilling” way.
These characters have a devastating backstory already with Negan being responsible for the death of Maggie’s husband, Glenn (Steven Yeun). So, it will be interesting to see the dynamics regarding this pair now that Maggie has returned after all this time.
Potentially, this could also be the catalyst for Negan’s flashbacks to the remembrance of his wife. However, viewers will just have to tune into the upcoming episodes in order to find out more.
The Walking Dead Season 10 will return on February 28 on AMC.