An "all-out war" is coming in the season 8 premiere of "The Walking Dead." As expected with any other great war in history, a showdown between the Alexandrians led by Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), and the merciless Saviors led by Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) will bring more deaths. Meanwhile, the AMC series' showrunner already has his eyes set on the distant future, teasing that season 9 will be much different than the upcoming one.

Following the release of the latest trailer of "The Walking Dead" season 8, speculations have arisen regarding the outcome of the show's greatest battle yet. The trailer shows the people of Alexandra gearing up for an all-out war against the Saviors, but unlike the previous chapter, the Alexandrians will be receiving aid from neighboring villages. Nonetheless, anything can happen in the fight, and there is still a fair chance that Rick's group could fall in the hands of Negan.

However, with the way things are going in the trailer, "The Walking Dead" season 8 might be the time for revenge, especially in making Negan pay for the brutal deaths of Glenn (Steven Yeun) and Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) in season 7, according to Comic Book. Casualties in both sides are expected in Rick's quest for avenging his fallen allies, but there are hints that one of the expected casualties will be none other than Negan himself.

In an interview with Express UK, Lennie James, who portrays Morgan in the series, confirmed that Negan will be paying for his crimes one way or another. The actor did not specify how the villain will meet his death in "The Walking Dead" season 8, but he said that it might be a little too early at this point for the character's payback. James also stated that Negan is relatively new in the show, so it might be too soon for his death

On the other hand, "The Walking Dead" executive producer Scott Gimple is already giving hints on how season 9 will start, even as the eighth season is just about to premiere this month. In an interview with Comic Book, Gimple revealed that season 9, especially its first half, will be "very, very different" compared to what the fans will see in season 8.

According to Metro, Gimple might be implying that the events in season 8 will eventually lead to a time leap in season 9, where the communities such as The Sanctuary, Hilltop, The Kingdom, and Alexandria are all trying to rebuild human civilization after the successful battle with Negan and the Saviors.

"The Walking Dead" season 8 will premiere on Oct. 22, Sunday at 9 p.m. EDT on AMC.