Scott Gimple, showrunner for The Walking Dead since season 4, has said that the seemingly opposite characters of Rick and Negan are more similar than some may think.
The showrunner said that had the show followed Negan from the beginning: ‘we might even be in the same place that we are with Rick where we’re like, ‘Whoa. What you’re doing there seems the behaviour of a bad person.’” He went on to say that the difference between the two is that one is more morally justified than the other, with Rick being “formed” by the world and his actions being more of “a reaction to being threatened.’
Gimple did admit the characters differ in morals, with Rick seemingly having a much more admirable moral compass, whereas Negan is solely focused on his personal survival.
The comments come just before long-time protagonist Rick faces off in a war against Negan when The Walking Dead returns for its 8th season in October. Gimple has been teasing the upcoming season’s intensity since April, saying that the new episodes will move at a “breakneck pace”.
Check out the preview for the 8th season below:
