The Walking Dead star Jeffrey Dean Morgan was "shocked" by that Negan and Maggie spin-off announcement

The Walking Dead star Jeffrey Dean Morgan say he's "still not sure" why AMC chose to announce Negan and Maggie's upcoming spin-off prior to the main show's series finale.

Earlier this month, a number of fans were left baffled when the US network unveiled the first poster for Isle of the Dead, a New York City-based series centered on the duo – and subsequently confirmed that they'll survive beyond the horror drama's last chapter.

While appearing as a guest on The Rich Eisen Show, Morgan – who made his debut as Negan in the horror drama's sixth season back in 2016 – apologized to the viewers over the "spoiler" and admitted that it was just as much of a surprise to him as it was to them.

"I guess we don’t need to die," he joked. "Spoiler alert, folks. Sorry! I’m still not sure why we announced that already. 

"It was sort of a shocker to me," Morgan continued, adding: "I think seeing zombies in Manhattan is gonna be kind of super fantastic."

The Walking Dead is currently airing part two of three in its supersized eleventh and final season. Just a few weeks ago, Negan decided to go out and face the zombie apocalypse alone, after witnessing a vengeful Maggie murder a bunch of Reapers.

"When it comes to me, promise or not, it's just a matter of time before you make the same call," he told her before he left, alluding to the fact that she's wanted to off him since he killed her husband Glenn in the first episode of season seven. "So I ain't gonna give you the chance to... do that."

So the spin-off news didn't just "ruin" the fact that Negan and Maggie aren't at risk as season 11 continues to play out, it also gave away that fact that the former returns and enemies-turned-allies learn to live with another.   

If you've found yourself dropping off of the show in recent years, but want to catch up before the final episode, check out our ultimate The Walking Dead recap here.