How The Walking Dead's Negan Could Have Been Very Different
"The Walking Dead" is, at the end of the day, a show about survivors in a postapocalyptic world. While the zombie walkers themselves may be the threat that remains consistent throughout, it's the human threat that allows the series to really mine some dramatic tension. Throughout the show's 11 seasons, "The Walking Dead" has featured a plethora of villainous characters, many of them pulled directly from the comic book source material.
Arguably one of the most anticipated villains that the show brought in was Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), who was once the leader of the Saviors. Since his introduction in the Season 6 finale, the character has remained a staple of the series, going through some major developments since his days as an antagonist. Still, the consequences of his days as a Savior have continuously come back to haunt him, especially in Maggie's (Lauren Cohan) quest for revenge for his murder of Glenn (Steven Yeun). However, in another world and at another time, Negan could have been a very different character altogether for one very big reason.
Jon Hamm was once a favorite to play Negan in The Walking Dead
Back in 2014, MTV suggested that "Mad Men" star Jon Hamm would be the perfect actor to step into the shoes of Negan. In fact, they brought up the idea to "The Walking Dead" comic creator Robert Kirkman, and he seemed to love the idea, though he theorized that Hamm would be too busy being a big movie star for that. However, when MTV caught up to Hamm, the actor responded by saying, "Robert, call me!"
However, Jeffrey Dean Morgan was eventually cast instead. So why didn't it happen? Well, no reason has ever actually been provided. But given the ever-shifting nature of the entertainment business, it could have been any number of reasons, including scheduling issues or the producers coming to the conclusion that Morgan was simply a better fit for the character at the end of the day. Either way, Hamm in the role definitely would have been an arguably different interpretation of the Negan character.