'The Walking Dead' news: Negan confirmed to return for season 8, series gets lowest ratings in years

Darker days are in store for "The Walking Dead" characters as the most controversial and disturbing villain, Negan, has been confirmed to return for season 8.

Played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Negan made his full-length debut in the show's season 7 premiere when he brutally killed off two main characters. Some viewers even called the scene far too violent for TV viewing. He made a few appearances in some episodes since then, but the character has not been a main focus for the series. Morgan recently caught up with Howard Stern, and he revealed that Negan will have more scenes in the next couple of episodes. In fact, fans should expect to see him for quite a long time.

"I know I will be on board for season eight," the actor said. "We've finished [season seven] a week ago. The next two, I'm really big in. I'm f---ing heavy in those," he added.

For some fans who believe that it's not fair for Negan to survive that long after killing two beloved characters, Morgan pointed out that thinking that way would be kind of hypocritical. "They killed 30 of my men while they slept," he said, referring to what Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and the Alexandrians did to his community. He also went on to say, "So far, I've tapped a couple of guys in the head with a baseball bat, and all of a sudden it's the end of the world!"

Despite Negan's bloody introduction, "The Walking Dead" is seeing a major dip in ratings this season. Polygon reports that the most recent episode scored the lowest ratings of season 7 — garnering its lowest numbers in years. There are many reasons why the show is seeing a significant rating dip, but it's certainly not unusual for a series' ratings to decline when it's around the fifth or sixth season.

"The Walking Dead" season 7 airs every Sunday night at 9 p.m. ET on AMC.