In a recent interview with ET Online, Bryan Cranston voiced his opinion on the future of the ‘Breaking Bad’ franchise, signaling an end to the era by saying we should ‘let it go.’
As ‘Breaking Bad’ marks its sixteenth anniversary, Cranston reflected on the series’ narrative structure, indicating it has a clear beginning, middle, and end. This philosophy aligns with his current view on the ‘Breaking Bad’ universe – it’s time to move on:
“Everything should come to an end. Everything’s cyclical. Our lives are cyclical- the seasons, trees, everything. And, so, it’s okay to have a beginning, middle, and end and then let it go. I’m proud of what we did.”
What Does Vince Gilligan Think About A Spin-Off?
According to his previous statements, Vince Gilligan echoes this sentiment. In October 2023, Gilligan expressed no immediate desire to return to the ‘Breaking Bad’ universe, focusing instead on developing new, original content:
“I kind of wonder if there are further stories to tell, but I don’t want to beat a dead horse. I look around and see other storytelling worlds — I’m not going to name names — that feel like, ‘Boy, they are really sucking that last dime out of that franchise.’ I’d hate to see that happen with this. I’d rather err on the side of leaving the party too soon than too late. But never say never. That’s just how I feel right now, but who knows down the line.”
In another interview which took place in 2022, Gilligan again said he’d love to revisit the series, but it’s probably the right time to leave it alone:
“I can definitely imagine revisiting it. Selfishly, I’d like to do so to keep this thing going. But without naming any names, I look around at some of the worlds, the universes, the stories that I love, whether they’re on TV or in the movies. And I think there’s a certain point, and it’s hard to define, where you’ve done too much in the same universe. Just leave it alone.”
‘Better Call Saul’ also concluded its run with 53 Emmy nominations, breaking the record for the most Emmy losses. The show’s finale has left little room for further expansion in the ‘Breaking Bad’ narrative, either.
Despite Gilligan and Cranston, Giancarlo Esposito Wants More
Despite Cranston and Gilligan’s stance, Giancarlo Esposito, known as Gus Fring, showed interest in exploring his character’s backstory. He recently pitched the idea of ‘The Rise of Gus,’ focusing on Fring’s origins and rise to power:
“I have a lot of premises, and I like to push. I am talking to Vince Gilligan right now. I would tell him about ‘The Rise of Gus.’ Wait a few years; he’s working on other shows and then coming back to me because the ‘Rise of Gus’ is interesting. To find out what the pieces that made up Gustavo Fring are and where he came from in terms of relationship to the hierarchy of Chile would be interesting to see.”
This project, however, remains speculative and dependent on the creators’ approval and interest.
As Cranston moves forward, his future projects include ‘Argylle,‘ ‘Everything’s Going to be Great,‘ and ‘Jackpot.‘ Gilligan’s current project includes a sci-fi series for Apple TV+. On the other hand, Esposito has a busier schedule than the two, with projects ‘The Gentlemen,’ ‘Abigail,’ ‘Parish,’ ‘The Boys,’ ‘Megalopolis,’ ‘MaXXXine,’ ‘Please Don’t Feed the Children,’ and ‘The Electric State’ on the way.
