Following season 6's controversial season finale, The Walking Dead returns to screens this fall. It has been reported that four cast members have been made season regulars.

　　According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Tom Payne, Austin Amelio, and Xander Berkeley will all play major roles in the seventh season of the hit zombie drama. Morgan's promotion is no surprise--his arrival as the villainous Negan at the end of the season 6 had been anticipated for many months, and Negan is one of the most popular characters in the long-running comic book on which the show is based.

　　Payne portrays the bearded kung-fu-kicking good guy Jesus, while Amelio plays Dwight, part of Negan's evil gang, known as the Saviors. Berkeley's character of Gregory is more ambiguous--he's the leader of the Hilltop Colony, who have made deals with both the Saviors and the show's band of heroes.

　　Another character who is expected to be added to the cast is the eccentric Ezekiel, a major protagonist from the comic book. His casting is yet to be revealed, and it is unknown if he will be accompanied by his pet tiger Shiva.

　　Season 7 of The Walking Dead premieres in October. In May, star Norman Reedus said that the show would open with some truly dramatic action. "Trust me. I think probably the planet is going to explode," he told EW. "That's my feeling. It's so good. Every time we go on a promotional tour talking about what's going to come, we all say 'Oh my God, it's amazing. I can't wait for you to see it.'"