Warning: Major spoilers ahead!
When we left the group at the end of season six, someone was about to come face-to-face, quite literally, with Negan’s bat and meet their demise. Is it Glenn? Abraham? Daryl? The theories have been running rampant since season six wrapped up in April. And while they’ve since cooled, new poster art is bound to get fans’ analytical juices flowing once again.
The panoramic photo (depicted below) does little in the way of revealing anything new, merely setting the stage for the action to come. We see the frightened group lined up, kneeling before the calm, cool, and collected Negan, played brilliantly by Jeffrey Dean Morgan. From left-to-right, there’s Glenn (Steven Yuen), Rosita (Christian Serratos), Daryl (Norman Reedus), Michionne (Danai Gurira), Abraham (Michael Cudlitz), Maggie (Lauren Cohan), Rick (Andrew Lincoln), Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green), Aaron (Ross Marquand), Carl (Chandler Riggs), and Eugene (Josh McDermitt). Negan is, of course, standing strategically dead center, adding to the ongoing mystery of whom he will actually beat to a pulp.
It almost certainly won’t be Rick. And Negan’s references in the final episode to hurting Carl should Rick try to protest what he’s about to do means it likely isn’t him either. In the comics, Negan is apparently against hurting women, which means ruling out Rosita, Michionne, a very pregnant and ill Maggie, and Sasha. That leaves Glenn, Daryl, Abraham, Aaron, and Eugene — a much smaller pool from which to select.
While most suspect that Glenn will finally meet his end, thus changing the trajectory of Maggie’s role on the show, we believe that Abraham is the far more likely candidate. Negan doesn’t strike us as the kind of person who would want to take out the weak; he’ll opt to hit the group where it hurts, and take out someone strong. While that’s certainly Glenn, Abraham exudes strength. This is made abundantly clear even in the photo: you see everyone hunched over, while Abraham and Michionne are the only two who appear ready for a fight.
What’s more, in the comics, Abraham is already dead; it was he who took an arrow to the eye in the unfortunate scene where Dwight (Austin Amelio) takes out Dr. Denise (Merritt Wever) in that same fashion. That said, in the name of sacrifice, Eugene showed in the final episode that he was ready to die for the good of the group. So there could be a surprise twist that shifts the bat in his direction.
Thankfully, there won’t be a frustrating delay between the season premiere and when we find out who becomes Lucille meat: Greg Nicotero, executive producer and director, has confirmed that viewers will get the answer in the first episode of the new season.
Once you’re done pondering this pic, AMC will release the first season 7 trailer during the show’s panel at Comic-Con, set to take place on Friday, July 22.
Season 7 of The Walking Dead premieres on Sunday, October 9.
