Jeffrey Dean Morgan joined The Walking Dead series as Negan, the infamous villain of Robert Kirkman’s comic book series. Dean Morgan’s first appearance was filled with violence, taking his signature baseball bat to bash the heads of two beloved characters from the main cast. It seems like Dean Morgan is not one to hold back off-screen, either.
The actor came to his co-stars Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride’s defense when fans began to call out the actors regarding the spinoff series The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon. McBride reportedly exited the spinoff before filming as she did not want to move to Europe, which annoyed many fans. However, Dean Morgan called out the fans for their toxicity.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan called out The Walking Dead fans
Fandoms have become more vocal (and, in many cases, really dangerous) about what they want from their favorite franchises. Be it games or films and shows, purists have resorted to attacking many of the actors for some personal decisions. There have been many instances where the bullying has gone to the verge of the actors quitting social media.
After the series finale of The Walking Dead, AMC began to develop a spinoff centered on Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride’s characters. The show featuring Daryl Dixon and Carol Peletier was supposed to be a traveling series set in Europe. However, McBride reportedly chose to exit as she was not willing to move to Europe (via EW).
This seemed to irk many fans, who resorted to trashing both McBride and Norman Reedus online. However, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who played Negan in the flagship show, came to their rescue. He put out an X post calling the fans toxic and set the record straight on what was going on behind the scenes.
Fans have often gone overboard to keep the experience of their beloved franchises alive, but actors like Jeffrey Dean Morgan show up once in a while to bring home the reality of production and personal choices.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan came to Norman Reedus’ defense after fans personally attacked him
In many ways, The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is unlike its flagship show. Sure, there is the zombie apocalypse, but visually and setting-wise, it is quite different where it is its own thing. The European locations add a lot to this visual difference in the shows, and it seems to be extremely important to set it there.
![“[I was] popping Advil like they were Tic Tacs”: Norman Reedus paid a Heavy Price For Playing Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead](https://fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/11020352/norman-reedus-daryl-dixon-in-the-walking-dead-768x432.jpg "“[I was] popping Advil like they were Tic Tacs”: Norman Reedus paid a Heavy Price For Playing Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead")
However, actor Norman Reedus was reportedly accused by fans of having forced the team to set the location in Europe so he could spend time with his new family in Germany (via EW). Co-star Jeffrey Dean Morgan debunked those rumors, too, with a disparaging tweet aimed at fans who were personally attacking Reedus for his alleged decision.
The European setting of the show adds a lot to the series’ aesthetic and separates it from the flagship show. Daryl Dixon was renewed for a third season last year.
The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon is available to stream on AMC+.
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