'The Walking Dead' season 7 spoilers, cast news: Jeffrey Dean Morgan, 3 others, promoted to series regulars

Ahead of its highly anticipated season 7, "The Walking Dead" has upgraded four of its new cast members into series regulars.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Negan), Tom Payne (Jesus), Austin Amelio (Dwight), and Xander Berkeley (Gregory) have all been promoted, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

All four actors joined AMC's popular zombie apocalypse series in its sixth season. Morgan plays the show's new main villain, Negan, while Amelio plays Dwight, a member of the extortionist Saviors Negan leads. Payne is Jesus, a member of the Hilltop Colony who has become an ally to Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and his band of survivors. Berkeley plays Gregory, the leader of the Hilltop Colony. Of the four, Amelio has appeared in the most episodes.

Fans of the "Walking Dead" comics, on which the series is based, know that all the four characters are major players in the comic books. In fact, Negan has become such a central character in the "Walking Dead" comics that its latest issue features the psychopathic villain on all 24 pages of the comic book.

While it is unknown if all four of the new series regulars will make it to season 8 alive, THR noted that Gregory has already been killed off in the comics.

Meanwhile, the trailer for "The Walking Dead" season 7 is expected to drop on Friday, July 22, at the show's Comic-Con 2016 panel. The cast and crew will reportedly be on stage to answer questions about the upcoming season 7.

According to ComicBook.com, the season 7 trailer, which would be between 3 1/2 to 6 minutes long, may introduce Ezekiel's famous tiger.

Apart from the season 7 trailer, the "Walking Dead" Comic-Con panel may also unveil the casting for Ezekiel, the leader of The Kingdom, one of the communities in the "Walking Dead" comics.

"The Walking Dead" season 7 will debut in October.