(Spoiler Alert: Do not keep reading if you have not seen the Season 6 finale of “The Walking Dead”)
A “Walking Dead” sneak peek that dropped at New York Comic-Con on Saturday provides a major clue as to who will meet Negan’s trusty barbed wire baseball bat, Lucille, in the Season 7 opener.
In the clip, we see Rick in the immediate aftermath of Negan killing a member of the group. Rick is sporting a noticeable blood spatter on the right side of his face that was not there when last we saw him.
Chances are that means the person who died was on Rick’s right side in the lineup, so Rosita, Michonne, Abraham, Maggie, Daryl or Glenn are the most likely victim. That’s good news for Sasha, Carl, Eugene and Aaron, who were all on Rick’s left.
When Negan lined up the group, Maggie was immediately to Rick’s right, followed by Abraham, then Michonne. Daryl, Rosita and Glenn were the farthest away.
Fans have been angrily waiting on the edge of their seats after the Season 6 finale did not divulge who Negan killed. There were calls for series showrunner Scott Gimple to be fired over the ending, along with petitions demanding the victim be revealed.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who plays the new villain on the upcoming season of the AMC series, says that he was kept in the dark about the Season 6 finale just like everyone else.
“I certainly didn’t know. I’ve seen interviews where Norman has said, ‘I know,’ but I honestly don’t know that anybody really knew what was going to happen until the first script came out,” Morgan said back in August. “Maybe during the summer people found out some stuff. I didn’t find out whom we were going to kill until I saw the first script coming back this year.”
“The Walking Dead” Season 7 premieres on Oct. 23 on AMC.
'Walking Dead' Season 7: 7 Things We Know So Far (Photos)
Still reeling from that epic/horrific Season 6 cliffhanger? Rather than dwell on that, TheWrap has rounded up details we already know about the upcoming Season 7 of "The Walking Dead"
AMC
Morgan and Carol Are Safe -- for Now Despite the fact that a vast majority of the main cast is currently behind the eight ball with Negan, we know for sure that Morgan and Carol are safe.
At least, we hope so.
At the end of Season 6, Morgan and an injured Carol were taken in by two men in armor that we now know are members of The Kingdom, another colony of survivors led by Ezekiel. Speaking of which ...
AMC
King Ezekiel Is Coming, with a Tiger! King Ezekiel, the leader of The Kingdom, is due to make his debut this season. Played by Khary Payton, Ezekiel rules over a group of survivors that have built a wall around an old high school. Readers of the source comic are already familiar with Ezekiel, but for those who aren't, that character keeps an interesting pet.
Ezekiel likes to keep an actual tiger named Shiva at his side. Mostly for protection, but also because who hasn't had that "Scarface" moment every now and then?
AMC
Dwight Gets Time to Shine Dwight is one of Negan's Saviors, who had a few brief encounters with Daryl back in Season 6. But in Season 7 the character, played by Austin Amelio, is going to play a bigger role as The Saviors become a full-time part of "The Walking Dead" landscape. The big question is whether Dwight will stay loyal to Negan, or his previous attempt to escape Negan's clutches foreshadows an alliance with Rick.
AMC
Jesus Saves Paul "Jesus" Monroe, played by Tom Payne, has already proven himself to be a capable fighter and trustworthy friend to Rick and the group. And given that Payne was promoted to series regular status, we are going to be seeing more Jesus and the Hilltop Colony in Season 7. How he will factor into the fight against The Saviors remains to be seen.
AMC
No Cliffhangers The team behind "The Walking Dead" seemed to get the message after the fan backlash from the Season 6 finale. That's why comic creator Robert Kirkman assured fans that history would not repeat itself in Season 7.
"I think everyone on 'The Walking Dead' creative team has taken note of [the backlash], and I don't know that I would expect a similar cliffhanger at the end of Season 7. We love the fan base, we love the audience and so if you didn't like this one, you'll like the next one."
Getty Images
Negan, Duh Come on, who hasn't been waiting for more Negan? Jeffrey Dean Morgan knocked it out of the park with a barbed wire bat in his first appearance as the foul-mouthed villain. Now we are going to get a whole season of his wickedness to enjoy at our leisure. Bring it on.
(Spoiler Alert) Catch up on the AMC series before it returns on Oct. 23
Still reeling from that epic/horrific Season 6 cliffhanger? Rather than dwell on that, TheWrap has rounded up details we already know about the upcoming Season 7 of "The Walking Dead"