Shaggy from Scooby-Doo as TWD’s best baddie, anyone?

Once Jeffrey Dean Morgan made his debut on The Walking Dead as the iconic Negan, it instantly became clear: this guy is going to steal the show. And he did. He absolutely nailed the role, portraying a charming but a menacing antagonist.

However, while it’s almost impossible to imagine it now, Negan could have been portrayed by other actors. Quite a few actors were considered for the role, but arguably the most intriguing one was Matthew Lillard. Yes, the actor famous for portraying Shaggy in those live-action Scooby-Doo films.

Lillard spilled the beans at Walker Stalker Con in Atlanta (via MovieWeb). He revealed that he was contacted about trying out for the part of Negan. Despite not being a regular viewer of the show, Lillard gave it a shot.

The casting team was impressed, telling him he was in the running. But, as Lillard humorously pointed out, being “in the running” often means the role’s going to someone else.

The casting saga didn’t end there. Lillard was called back for a second round. This time the producers wanted him to tone down the humor and amp up the drama.

They were looking for a Negan who could balance both. The actor was informed that it was just him and another guy (presumably Morgan) being in consideration for the role.

While Morgan’s portrayal of Negan is undeniably iconic, it’s fun to imagine what Lillard would’ve brought to the table. Fans on Reddit actually photoshopped Lillard to Morgan’s Negan body to see how he would look in the shoes of this menace.

To be honest, Lillard could have nailed it. He was just unlucky to face off against such a charming actor.

Lillard was so close to snagging the role that when Morgan was taking his sweet time to respond to the offer, the casting directors were ready to move on and give it to Lillard. But fate had other plans, and Morgan accepted just in the nick of time.

The casting for Negan was probably quite the spectacle. Apart from Lillard, several other big names were rumored or confirmed to have auditioned. This includes Timothy Olyphant, Garret Dillahunt, and Jon Hamm.