Considering Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead comic book series is more or less a chronicle of the Grimes family's post-apocalyptic story, it only makes sense that the TV show invoke some of those same familial connections, even without Andrew Lincoln's Rick or Chandler Riggs' Carl Grimes around anymore. And amusingly enough, those family ties are coming from star Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who recently acted opposite his wife Hilarie Burton, and has now revealed his son will be part of the Walking Dead universe, albeit in zombified form.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan hopped onto his Instagram page to give fans and followers a creep-tastic first look at his 11-year-old son Augustus "Gus" Morgan decked out in full walker makeup for an apparent appearance in The Walking Dead Season 11. Check it out!
I know what you're thinking: those teeth are way too healthy to be a walker's teeth. And in a way, it's almost more disturbing to see a pock-faced zombie smiling big with pearly white chompers. Especially when it's a pre-pubescent child who's doing the smiling. [Shudders violently.]
There's no doubt about how proud Jeffrey Dean Morgan is to see his kiddo getting ghoulish for The Walking Dead, but I do have to wonder how disturbing it is to see one's child in zombie form. I guess it would be better than having to watch him turn into a zombie. But will Negan be the one to put this li'l dude down? We'll have to wait and see.
Considering The Walking Dead is filming Season 11 while adhering to strict COVID safety protocols, it definitely makes sense for the producers to look closer to home when sourcing actors as extras and guest stars. After all, it's a lot easier to cast someone who's already necessarily in the quarantine bubble than it is to only seek actors outside the show's immediate periphery. That's part of how Hilarie Burton came around to playing Negan's wife Lucille for the Season 10 finale that aired in early April, and at this point, I wouldn't be surprised if Jeffrey Dean Morgan's other two kids also joined the undead fun for the upcoming final season.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan's career has spanned other marquee projects such as Grey's Anatomy, Watchmen and Star Trek – though maybe don't bring up Star Trek too often – but he really cemented himself in the role of The Walking Dead's Negan. To the point where it sounds feasible that the character will head up his own spinoff series once Season 11 is finished. Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride are already locked in for a Daryl and Carol follow-up, and Negan's rather vague outcome in the comics leaves tons of narrative space to carve out some interesting stories outside his connections to Alexandria and beyond.
For now, we'll have to wait and see what will come next for Negan, who might not even survive long enough to get his own spinoff, depending on what Lauren Cohan's Maggie wants to do with him. It's not so likely that she'll kill him, unless showrunner Angela Kang really wants to flip that comic book storyline around.
The Walking Dead is currently in its spring/summer hiatus, but Season 11 will debut on AMC on Sunday, August 22, at 9:00 p.m.
