‘Walking Dead’ Dream Team Ryan Hurst and Jeffrey Dean Morgan Tease ‘The Beginning’ in Twitter Exchange

Fans aren’t the only ones excited to see Sons of Anarchy actor Ryan Hurst join the cast of The Walking Dead. Actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who plays Negan on TWD, responded to Hurst’s social media post with glee on Monday.

Hurst, who is best known for playing Opie on Sons of Anarchy, teased his Walking Dead role as villain Beta and built up hype for it on Twitter earlier this week.

Alongside an illustration of the character he will be playing, Hurst wrote, “SHHHHHH!!!! Just a Whisper,” a reference to Beta’s background as a member of The Whisperers.

“Yueeeeaaaaasssssssssss!!!!!!!” Morgan replied after seeing Hurst’s tweet.

But the exchange didn’t end there. Hurst responded with a classic Casablanca image, quoting the film, “Jeffrey, I think this is the beginning…”

Morgan wrapped up the exchange with another fitting quote: “I believe you are correct…” he wrote, “Here’s looking at you kid.”

Needless to say, the Twitter conversation excited fans for the upcoming season. “I’m still jumping up & down! Stoked,” one fan wrote, while another called it, “epic.”

Reports surfaced earlier this week confirming that Hurst would be added to The Walking Dead cast for the show’s upcoming ninth season. His character, Beta, is the second-in-command of The Whisperers, a group the main cast of survivors encounter in the drama.

Readers of The Walking Dead comic book series might remember Beta, who originally appeared in the 154th issue. In the comics, he rises up to become the leader of The Whisperers — but it’s unclear if the same fate is in store for Hurst’s on-screen version of the character.

With his stellar resume (jam-packed with roles from SOA, Bates Motel, The Outsiders and King & Maxwell) and general likeness to Beta’s character, Hurst’s casting has been a huge hit with Walking Dead fans.

“So excited for this, [you’re] gonna be such an amazing addition to the show!” one fan wrote.

Another fan said, “So excited for you [Ryan]. Welcome to TWD Family….can’t wait to see your scenes.”

Sons of Anarchy wrapped in 2014, but fans who miss the show can watch all seasons on Netflix. The show’s spinoff series, Mayans M.C., premieres Tuesday, Sept. 4 at 10 p.m. ET on FX. Fans can watch the ninth season of The Walking Dead this fall on AMC.