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The Walking Dead Season 5 inched closer to the storylines in Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard’s Walking Dead comic book series by bringing Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and his fellow survivors to the Alexandria safe zone. That means that new friends and new enemies are right around the corner for season 6!
The Wrap is reporting that Tom Payne has been cast in a major role for the sixth season of The Walking Dead. He will portray Paul Monroe, an extremely athletic survivor from another community who earned the nickname “Jesus” because of his uncanny resemblance to classical depictions of Jesus Christ. The Walking Dead’s Jesus will be an ally to Rick, and one of the series’ few openly gay characters.
Additionally, Spoil The Dead is reporting that The Walking Dead may be casting Negan, one of the most frightening and memorable villains from the comic book series. Although the casting call has “Orin” listed as his name, the description fits Negan almost exactly: “[a] physically imposing, charismatic, brutal, smart, ferocious, frightening, hilarious, inappropriate, oddly friendly, fun loving sociopath.”
Within The Walking Dead franchise, Negan is the only villain to rival The Governor in terms of personality and his impact on the storyline. Negan is also infamous for “Lucille,” a bat wrapped in barb wire which he frequently used to kill and maim his enemies. Suffice to say, even main characters weren’t safe from Negan.
Early rumors for Negan had Jon Hamm (Mad Men) listed as a possibility to take the role. But if Hamm was a serious contender for the part then AMC wouldn’t have sent out that casting call.
The Walking Dead recently cast Xander Berkeley for the sixth season, and he is widely believed to be playing Gregory, the leader of Jesus’ group of survivors. Gregory has an uneasy relationship with Negan in the comics, as Negan attempts to exert his control over all of the survivors.
The Walking Dead Season 6 will premiere on Sunday, October 11 on AMC.
