Will Negan dethrone Rick Grimes as the central character in Walking Dead season 7?

No doubt the premiere episode of The Walking Dead season 7 will unfold the fate of Rick Grimes and his crew's future, a recently released teaser hints that Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Negan could dethrone Rick to become the most powerful leader of the post-apocalyptic world.

The clip released by AMC warns fans that Negan's reign of terror would continue and there are high chances that his rule will not only be limited to "The Sanctuary", but also spread to Alexandria.

The season 6 finale featured a defining moment and its impact will only be known in the season 7 premiere as the fate of a major character will be sealed. Rick, who has enjoyed leadership since season 1, could face some embarrassment for his inability to protect his team. There are high chances that the Savior leader will overshadow him in the upcoming season.

Previously, Negan had captured most of Rick's crew members to avenge the death of his men and it was this clash that gave birth to the most controversial finale in the show's history. While some fans liked the season 6 cliffhanger ending, many were furious as the face of Negan's victim was not shown.

Meanwhile, the show creators, producers and actors have appealed fans to wait patiently for the premiere of TWD season 7, which according to them will be heartbreaking. Melissa McBride, who plays Carol in the Robert Kirkman-created series has warned that the outcome of the brutal scene will "rock the walls".

"It's entertaining. It's compelling and some people like cliffhangers, some people hate them, and that's just part of the experience. But I hope those people that feel jilted will tune in because the premiere is just going to be... oh God, it's going to rock the walls. The wait is worth it. Whether you're angry with it or whether you liked the cliffhanger or whether you're pissed off about it, the wait is worth it," she told Entertainment Weekly.

The upcoming season will also introduce another powerful survival society, The Kingdom, which is ruled by King Ezekiel. As shown in an earlier trailer, Carol is awestruck with the way Kingdom functions and protects its people from the zombies and other groups.

With numerous societies flourishing in the post-apocalyptic zombie word, it remains to be seen how Rick Grimes will hold his position as a leader – if he survives Negan's wrath – and whether he will be able to provide sanctuary to the remaining members of his group.

Walking Dead season 7 will premiere on 23 October on AMC.