Negan is the most interesting villain in The Walking Dead universe, but to call him The Joker isn’t doing him justice. But that’s how Norman Reedus sees the character, according to his most recent interview with Entertainment Weekly.
Here’s what Reedus, who plays the loveable Daryl Dixon on the show, told EW about Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s portrayal of Negan:
“He’s a prick [laughs] but you know, I have to say, Jeffrey’s killing it — no pun intended. He’s great. He’s super charismatic, and he’s enjoying being this jerk way too much, as a matter of fact. You know, it’s a real blessing we have him on the show. He’s brought so much new energy to this show, and that character is like the Joker. It has to be great, and he’s delivering, and everyone likes him, and he’s fun. He’s a cool guy and everything, but in the moment, everyone wants to f—ing kill him, and then we wrap, and we’re all having fun again. So he’s a great addition to the show.”
Here’s where we disagree with Norman. Based on what we’ve read in The Walking Dead comics, Negan isn’t really like Batman’s nemesis. The Joker loves chaos: He lives it, breathes it, thrives in it. The Joker is malicious and does things to intentionally harm people. Negan is cruel, but he has a deep sense of morality, unlike the Joker. Negan sees right and wrong, even if his definition of these things are different from the rest of the world.
Negan has respect for certain people in the comics and will treat other differently depending on if he likes them. Negan is not okay with his men raping or physically abusing women, though it won’t stop him from killing a woman if necessary. Negan wants power and will do anything to hold on to it. However, Negan is like the Joker in the sense that the world cannot exist without him. Batman cannot kill The Joker because it goes against his moral code. Rick cannot kill Negan because he’s the example of what he can become if he lets the darkness consume him.
Negan is like the Joker in some ways, but he’s definitely much more complex in others. Maybe The Walking Dead Season 7’s version of Negan is drastically different from the comics. Guess we’ll have to wait to find out. The Walking Dead Season 7 premieres Oct. 23 on AMC.
