Summary
While there area few spinoff series,The Walking Dead:Dead Citymight just be the most intriguing one thanks to the dynamic between Negan Smith (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Maggie Rhee (Lauren Cohan). The executive producer recently shareda fascinating behind-the-scenes detail about something Negan and Morgan have in common.
AlthoughThe Walking Deadended in 2022 after 11 seasons, viewers didn’t have to say goodbye to complex characters like Negan and Maggie.The Walking Dead: Dead Cityseason 1 arrived on June 18th, 2023 on AMC, andseason 2 premiered on May 4th, 2025. The show follows the two characters as they look for Hershel, Maggie’s son, in New York City. Along with waiting tosee a beloved character come back, fans will want to hear more about Morgan’s time filming the spinoff series.
In an interview withEntertainment Weekly,The Walking Dead: Dead Cityexecutiveproducer Scott M. Gimple shared thatJeffrey Dean Morgan keeps Lucille, Negan Smith’s famous bat, near him on set. Gimple said:
“Jeffrey could use Lucille. He loves Lucille very much. He does not leave Lucille when he goes to his trailer. He actually takes Lucille when he goes to his trailer. He would leave Lucille on a seat when it wasn’t being used. He wasn’t turning it back in to the props department. The only time that props would get Lucille is at the end of the day.”
Gimple mentioned a song from the beloved musical movieAn American Tail, which was released in 1986, and said:
“You could see Jeffrey singing ‘Somewhere Out There’ when he didn’t have Lucille.”
Morgan is such a big fan of Lucille that he evengot a tattoo of the prop. Lucille has a memorable history onThe Walking Dead. Sometimes, a character’s beloved object is played for laughs, but Lucille is so powerful because a lot of sadness is associated with this item.The story behind her name is shared inseason 8, episode 14, “Still Gotta Mean Something:“and viewers find out Negan’s late wife was named Lucille.Negan decides to burn his bat in season 10, episode 22, “Here’s Negan,“but that isn’t the last time that fans see this prop.
The Walking Dead: Dead Cityseason 2 premiere, “Power Equals Power,” reveals thatNegan has his bat again. This time around, Lucille is scarier and more dangerous than ever. If someone touches Lucille, they will get an electric shock. While fans were intrigued bythe new season’s trailer, it wouldn’t feel likeThe Walking Deadwithout this unforgettable prop, and it’s great that Lucille is included in this spinoff. It was also a smart idea to change Lucille slightly and make her even deadlier than she was before. After all, Maggie and Negan are now in post-apocalyptic New York City, and it makes sense that Negan needs an even more terrifying weapon.
Morgan has talked about Lucillein various interviews, and in a recent interview withVariety,he shared he was told Lucille would be part ofThe Walking Dead: Dead Cityseason 2 a year prior to shooting. He said he was “excited” and explained that Lucille is important to him. The actor explained that he not only brings Lucille to his trailer on set, but he alsoholds Lucille when he’s going to craft services. Fans wouldn’t enjoy the new series as much without seeing Lucille, and Morgan loves her, too.
The Walking Dead: Dead Cityseason 2 iscurrentlyairing Sunday evenings at 9 p.m. E.T. on AMC.
