​The Walking Dead Adds Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Iconic Villain

There's a new baddie coming to town on The Walking Dead.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan has been cast as the iconic villain Negan, TVGuide.com has confirmed. The character will reportedly make his first appearance in the Season 6 finale and Morgan will become a regular in Season 7, according to The Hollywood Reporter, which first reported the news.

In the Robert Kirkman graphic novel upon which the show is based, Negan is the super-violent leader of a group of savages ironically called The Saviors. Negan first appeared in the comic book's landmark 100th issue, during which (spoiler alert!) Negan kills Glenn with a barbwire-wrapped baseball bat he calls "Lucille." (In fact, many fans upset by Glenn's recent "death" on the show were peeved simply because they wanted to see that iconic moment realized. Perhaps now they still will!)

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Casting for the crucial role took some time, with such actors as Timothy Olyphant, Matt Dillon and Garret Dillahunt also being considered for the part, according to THR.

Morgan joined The Good Wife as a series regular this season, but his contract was only for the current seventh season, according to TVLine. His other TV credits include a stint on CBS' Extant and memorable roles as John Winchester on Supernatural and Denny Duquette on Grey's Anatomy.

Do you think Morgan will make a good Negan?