Shock horror: Jeffrey Dean Morgan wants long-time collaborator and best friend Jensen Ackles to join The Walking Dead: “It’s not a big ask.”
Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Jensen Ackles have a golden on-screen dynamic, from famously being a father-son duo in Supernatural as Dean and John Winchester, they later appeared in Prime Video’s superhero series The Boys as Joe Kessler and Soldier Boy respectively (although they did not share a scene in The Boys). Their off-screen chemistry is just as notable too, with Ackles officiating Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s wedding to Hilarie Burton back in 2019. They even have matching tattoos and frequently cross over at conventions. The level of bromance is off the scale.
When it comes to any future forays between the two, there’s been long-gestating discussions that Ackles could one day step into The Walking Dead, appearing opposite Morgan’s legendary villain Negan. Of course, Negan is (admittedly somehow) still alive in the AMC zombie franchise, and will return this summer for The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 3. Beyond that, Morgan’s future in the series is uncertain, but he’s clearly keen to continue swinging Lucille — and looking ahead to the future, he wants Ackles to get in on the act.
“We’d love it to happen, I’ll tell you that,” Morgan said during Gold Panel Burbank 2024, as recorded by a fan. “Make it so! It’s not a big ask, I’d love to make it happen.”
Of course, Jeffrey Dean Morgan has already had his wife Hilarie Burton play Negan’s wife Lucille in The Walking Dead for one episode, coming in origin story Here’s Negan back Season 10, Episode 22. He’s clearly got a knack at getting the folks behind The Walking Dead to heed his casting ideas. The casting of Hilarie Burton as Lucille was hugely successful among fans too. The episode currently stands at a 9.2 rating on IMDb — one of the highest in the show’s illustrious history.
All things considered, there’s no doubt fans would welcome Ackles into the franchise with open arms, but his character would more than likely meet a grizzly end. Guest stars in the franchise rarely see their characters survive long, just ask Robert Patrick.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan returns as Negan in The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 3, continuing his adventures in Manhattan alongside Maggie (Lauren Cohan). The season is set to release on July 26, 2026. Later this year, the franchise will return with the fourth and final season of Daryl Dixon. After that ends, TWD Universe will find itself in a precarious position with no projects in the pipeline — it marks the end of the current roadmap. It’s unlikely that the franchise will wrap up there, however given that overseer Scott Gimple is always vocal about his desires to continue telling new stories. The Walking Dead is the zombie story that never ends, after all. Adding Jensen Ackles to the roster of characters could certainly spice things up!
Would you like to see Jensen Ackles join The Walking Dead? Tell us in the comments!
Watch ‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’ below:
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