After the tremendous back-to-back success of “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul,” it’s safe to say creator Vince Gilligan has carte blanche to do whatever he wants. He’s taking a break from the world of Heisenberg for the time being by developing a new Apple TV+ series starring Rhea Seehorn, but fans undoubtedly want to know if another “Breaking Bad” spinoff is in the cards. By the sound of it, no one should hold their breath.
While speaking with Variety, Gilligan ruminated on what happened to the characters after the ending of “Breaking Bad.” He hoped characters who lived like Skyler (Anna Gunn) and Walt Jr. (RJ Mitte) went on to fruitful lives but admitted he could see a scenario where someone tries to do a Walt Jr. spinoff where he becomes corrupted, “I’d hate the thought of Walt Jr. following in Walt’s footsteps in the crime business. That’s probably the kind of thing somebody will pitch 10 or 15 years from now — Walter Jr. as an Albuquerque crime lord succeeding where his father failed.”
It’s not just a potential Walt Jr. spinoff Gilligan shoots down. He has little interest in returning to that world, stating, “It’s fun thinking about what would happen to the characters, but it doesn’t rise to the level of, ‘Gee, I’d like to tell more about the story.’ But who knows, in a few years maybe.” He may not close the door entirely, but with the critical acclaim “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul” received, it would have to be the perfect idea to carry on the legacy.
Vince Gilligan would love to work with RJ Mitte again (not necessarily on a Breaking Bad spinoff)
Fans have gotten some closure on popular “Breaking Bad” characters. Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) was the protagonist of his own movie, “El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie,” where audiences saw how he pulled his life back together after being rescued from the Nazis and going off to Alaska. “Better Call Saul” also ended by showing how Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) couldn’t stay out of trouble and ended up in prison as a result. There definitely are engaging stories to still tell in this universe, but when asked about the prospect of a “Heisenberg Jr. spinoff,” Vince Gilligan wasn’t a fan.
Only one thing entices him about the prospect: “The only attractive thing about that idea is working with RJ Mitte again because he’s a wonderful actor and sweet guy. But that would be depressing as hell. That would be the wrong lesson from the show, if there are any lessons at all to be gleaned from it.” While it appears the team is taking a “never say never” approach, fans shouldn’t expect more from “Breaking Bad,” at least in the near future.
Of course, there’s a cavalcade of ideas that could be utilized to continue the franchise. Looper actually pitched some ideas on spinoffs we would like to see, including one that would see Jesse’s old buddies, Badger (Matt Jones) and Skinny Pete (Charles Baker), get into even more mishaps after being dubbed the two best hitmen west of the Mississippi. Ultimately, Gilligan should be allowed to make whatever he wants at this point. He’s more than proven himself a legend in the industry.
