Walking Dead: Dead City Season 2 Trailer Previews Negan's Rise To Power In Manhattan

A new trailer for The Walking Dead: Dead City season 2 was released at New York Comic Con, previewing Negan's rise to power in Manhattan. Dead City season 1 ended with Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) working for the Dama (Lsa Emery), who threatened to invade the Bricks and kill Hershel (Logan Kim) if he didn't comply. In the meantime, after trading him to the Burazi for her son back, Maggie (Lauren Cohan) has decided to return to New York in order to save him. However, he's now been given a powerful position by the Manhattan group's leader.

Now, The Walking Dead has released a new trailer for Dead City season 2 at New York Comic Con, teasing Negan's rise to power in Manhattan. The trailer shows a confident Negan lording over a group of survivors, while Maggie appears shocked by his new position. Kim Coates' character can be seen looking worried as a voiceover from the baseball bat-wielding anti-hero claims, "power equals power." Radio City Music Hall then lights up before the title is revealed, alongside a release window of Spring 2025. Check out the trailer below:

What Dead City Season 2's New Trailer Says About The Walking Dead Spinoff

Negan Might Be Getting Back Into A Villain Role

The way Negan speaks is similar to how he did when he was leader of the Saviors, even carrying around a new version of Lucille to assert his leadership position. Dead City season 2 appears to be toying with the idea of his old self returning, something the Dama demanded of him to unite Manhattan's survivors under the Burazi's rule. It's possible that, depsite the redemption arc he went on culminating in The Walking Dead series finale, he's starting to grow more accustomed to his new leadership position, and enjoying his new role as well.

However, this isn't the first time he's slipped back into a boisterous attitude in order to defeat a powerful enemy. In The Walking Dead season 10, he tricked Alpha (Samantha Morton) into thinking he wanted revenge on the core survivors, only to betray and behead her. A similar fate could befall the Dama, as Negan lies in wait for the perfect time to stick and topple her empire. However, other members of Dead City's cast, like Maggie, might not see his rouse for what it is, convinced he's turned back into his old self.

Our Take On Dead City Season 2's Negan-Focused Trailer

We Don't Think He'll Be His Old Self Forever

Given Negan has used his old villain persona as a survival mechanism before, we don't think he's permanently reverted to his old ways when season 2 picks up. While Dead City could explore him being tempted back into embracing that old way of life, his main concern right now is keeping up the act to protect Hershel and Maggie. However, with both of them heading back to New York City soon, conflict and misunderstanding could ensue, even if it's unlikely to be permanent.