The Wolves. They seem scary! After all, they act all nice and tell you to be still, and next thing you know, you’re having your throat slit, a big W carved into your forehead, and you’re hanging out as a booby-trapped zombie waiting to eat people at a food depot. That sucks!

So what to make of this latest nuisance that almost killed Daryl and Aaron and seem poised to attack the Alexandrians in season 6 of The Walking Dead? We went to Scott M. Gimple for answers, and the showrunner had some interesting things to say. For one thing, it appears as if the Wolves may not arrive as early at the gates of Alexandria as we think. For another, Gimple is promising “multiple threats even in the first half of the season.” Read on for more, and also make sure to check out our Q&A with Gimple chatting about the Rick and Jessie situation, as well as how the show plans to show backstory to the comic in season 6.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How prominent a role are the Wolves going to play in season 6?

SCOTT M. GIMPLE: Is it season 6, season 7, season 8? I’ll tell you, I don’t know if I’d be as completely direct as to have the first thing we do when we pick up season 6, is to jump into anything with the Wolves. I wouldn’t probably do that. I don’t think we would do that.

Are you saying this could be a longer play than the Terminus situation?

I think there’s some parallels to the Terminus situation. I hope, whatever happens with them, I hope people aren’t expecting it.

I have no idea what that even means.

Every storyteller would want to say that! “Well, I hope they’re not expecting the story.” I think we just hit new depths of ambiguity.

Well, I have to imagine that we’re going to start to get more clarity and more answers on this group. They’ve seen the photos of the place, we know what they’re capable of, and I have to assume that’s going to be continuing going into season 6.

It’s hard to explain. The thread will not be dropped, but there’s, like, spoilers on top of spoilers there. It plays a big part in the season, but maybe not in the way that people would expect. Which is weird. What I’m trying to say, is that one of them marries, officially, Glen and Maggie. Actually, just a group of Justice of the Peaces. That’s all they want to do is just marry people. It’s a really weird thing.

Should we assume, then, that there are some other threats in season 6 in addition to the Wolves?

There are multiple threats, even in the first half of the season. And sort of different versions of threats we’ve seen before. The first three episodes are quite intense, and the cast and crew are — we just shot them out of a cannon directly into another cannon that we shot them out of again. The first three episodes are — we say every year, “Ah, it’s so crazy” and everything, and it has been crazy — but the first three episodes this year and the things that we’re doing are very big and very difficult, and we’re pushing people hard, and in some ways I think we’re going to be pushing the audience hard. I’m pretty excited and terrified about it.