‘The Walking Dead’ Slices Up First Photo of MAJOR Season 3 Villain!

There are all of three things that will make 'The Walking Dead' season 3 the most highly-anticipated yet for the AMC series, two of which we've glimpsed already.  The first was the identity of that mysterious samurai-sword-wielding stranger appearing in season 2 finale "Beside the Dying Fire."  The second is the ominous prison seen just out of reach of our merry band of survivors.

The third?  Well, govern your expectations.  The biggest threat to the AMC survivors is yet to come, and we've got the first look at season 3's dastardly new villain!

Before 'The Walking Dead' season 2 even drew to a close, AMC announced that British thespian (and personal friend to Andrew Lincoln) David Morrissey had been tapped to play season 3's major villain, known only as 'The Governor.'  Fans of the Image comics upon which the AMC series draws inspiration know the depth of The Governor's malice, bringing an intense amount of curiosity to how Morrissey and AMC might interpret the role

Courtesy of TV Guide, we now have our first look!  It's...alright.

Purists may bemoan that Morrissey's look as the character doesn't share all that much in common with the comic character other than his clothing (they couldn't even give him a mustache?), but we all know that AMC plays somewhat loose with their adaptation of comic canon.  At the very least, we know fellow season 3 addition Michonne (Danai Gurira) looks spot on!  On the subject of AMC's adaptation of The Governor, 'The Walking Dead' creator Robert Kirkman has been heard to say:

The Governor in the show is definitely going to be The Governor in the comic. I think that he's definitely going to be a character that people love to hate and are absolutely entertained by, but also somewhat terrified of. He's definitely going to be a very important character and a very nuanced character. We are not going to be watering him down.

Previously, actor John Hawkes had been in talks for the role, and legendary horror makeup guru Tom Savini even publicly campaigned for the role, touting his physical resemblance to the comic character.  As we can see from David Morrissey's interpretation, grooming (and more or less, ethnicity) weren't really a concern of the casting directors.

Hopefully, we'll see more in the coming weeks, and maybe even some footage of the character at this year's San Diego Comic-Con to compensate for this largely underwhelming first look.  What say you?  Do you think David Morrissey looks the part?  Are you excited for the third season of AMC's 'The Walking Dead?'  Tell us in the comments your thoughts on last season, as well as what you're expecting this October when 'The Walking Dead' returns for season 3, only on AMC!