‘The Walking Dead’ EP Greg Nicotero Teases Negan’s Kill Total, One Major Character Death Confirmed [Sneak Peek]

The Walking Dead comic book readers have known about Glenn’s (Steven Yeun) death for a long time.

With AMC’s hit show heading into Season 7, Negan’s (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) introduction has many fans wondering if the show will stick to issue No. 100 and kill off Maggie’s love.

The season premiere is less than a month away, and executive producer Greg Nicotero sat down with Comic Book to discuss how Negan’s actions will impact the series as whole.

“There’s some great drama that stems from that exact moment… Without giving too much away, it’s even more than the comic book, because in the comic book it’s kind of abrupt, and it’s over, and there’s a little, ‘Okay, I’ll see you guys in a week. We’ll be by to get half our share.’ There’s more to it.”

Season 6 ended with Negan preparing to kill one member of Rick’s group in what has become the show’s biggest cliffhanger to date.

Hollywood Take is reporting that Glenn is the most likely character to die, though nothing official has leaked.

Considering how producers have billed the premiere, many fans suspect that more than one character will die at the end of Negan’s bat, Lucille.

In fact, Nicotero admitted that the opening was “the most emotional episode that I’ve ever shot.”

“Carol is not going to show up and blow up the propane tank outside of Terminus,” he added. “These things aren’t going to happen, and it’s just devastating.”

Even the cast and crew acted emotionally after filming the episode, and they were prepared for what happened.

“It was different this year because we knew that we were jumping into it in a very deep, dark, cold place,” the producer shared. “So it was a different emotion on set, because where we worked ourselves up to for season 6, we began with season 7, and it was really challenging, and it was hard. And the first couple episodes are a bit relentless in that sort of dark place that they really don’t want to go, but we’re going to take you there.”

Meanwhile, Digital Spy is reporting that Daryl (Norman Reedus) might be Negan’s victim.

Reedus was recently asked how Negan will change Daryl’s outlook in life. In response, the actor said, “Mistakes will end your life.”

“He’s got an army of people who call themselves Negan,” he continued. “They are doing everything he says. There’s no way around that right now.”

Do Reedus’ comments hint that Daryl will die in The Walking Dead season opener?

For now, it isn’t clear which character Negan will kill.

Whoever ends up dying, Cinema Blend reports that the episode’s biggest drama won’t center on the opening death.

“There’s so much more that happens in that episode that is more heartbreaking than that moment, that by the time the episodes over it are almost too much… It’s that intense. It just keeps getting worse. It goes lower and lower and lower.”

It isn’t clear what Nicotero is referencing, and it’s hard to believe that anything could top the death of a major character.

There is a possibility that Negan ventures to Alexandria in the coming episode, or that he does something horrific to pregnant Maggie.

Either way, it sounds like fans are in for a horrifying premiere when The Walking Dead returns to AMC this month.

“Fear is a bigger motivator than love or revenge or anything else. He is putting fear in people and that does wonders,” Reedus concluded. “It is particularly cruel because he uses a nursery rhyme. He’s not remorseful, and it’s not personal. It’s just going to happen… just to keep the order.”

Season 7 of The Walking Dead is set to premiere on October 23 on AMC, check out a sneak peek below.

[Featured Image by AMC]