'Walking Dead' season 6 news: Negan casting rumor dismissed

NeganImage Comics

A previous report pointed to the possibility of the villain Negan popping up in "The Walking Dead" sesason 6 finale. That news now appears to have more substance to it as a Twitter post from actor Garret Dillahunt clears the confusion by explaining he merely lobbied for the role but was not yet officially cast.

Dillahunt's original Twitter post revealed the third compendium of "The Walking Dead" comic books, which contains the issues where Negan is initially introduced. The caption for his post also suggested that the compendium is part of a study for scenes currently being filmed, further implying he was indeed cast.

However, Dillahunt has since turned to Twitter again to explain that AMC has not yet officially cast him as the villain. "They are looking at some great actors and will make the best choice for the show," he explained in his post. "So surprised and grateful for all the support my public lobbying has received. Thank you."

He then stated that if he does not get the job as Negan then he hopes he may still get cast in "The Walking Dead" as someone else.

While he might not be officially cast as Negan, a report from Screen Crush does speculate that if the actor was going to play someone else then it may be Dwight, one of Negan's primary followers.

One thing that Dillahunt did confirm is that AMC is indeed searching for an actor to portray Negan. Whether or not the villain actually appears in season 6 in a small cameo at the very ending or if he is being cast for season 7 has yet to be seen. Given that Paul "Jesus" Monroe has been cast with Tom Payne, it is likely however that Negan will be making an appearance before season 6 is over.

Negan, in the comic books, is the leader of a group of mercenaries called the Saviors, a group that originated in Washington DC. Negan was responsible for killing Glenn in the comic books, an event that launches a full-blown war between Alexandria and the Saviors.