As audiences gear up for the finale of its popular first spinoff, Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan has a sad update on potential future spinoffs. Gilligan’s original criminal thriller is centered on high school chemistry instructor Walter White. He teams up with former student Jesse Pinkman to create and distribute meth to leave a good nest fund for his family in case he is unable to fight his cancer diagnosis.
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Breaking Bad aired on AMC for five seasons. It received worldwide acclaim from critics and viewers alike for its narrative, character development, direction, and cast performances. It collecting 16 Primetime Emmy nominations and is widely regarded as one of the best TV shows of all time. Following the conclusion of Breaking Bad, Gilligan would collaborate with series veteran Peter Gould on the prequel/sequel/spinoff Better Call Saul.
The show mostly chronicled the background of Bob Odenkirk’s titular lawyer before becoming the unscrupulous criminal defense attorney. Throughout its six seasons, the show has also explored the lives of Giancarlo Esposito’s Gus Fring and Jonathan Banks’ Mike Ehrmantraut in the years preceding their roles in the previous series.
Better Call Saul, which has received worldwide acclaim and 46 Primetime Emmy nominations, is about to end its run as the timeline approaches the start of Breaking Bad. While some are looking forward to the franchise’s potential future, the man behind it all has a bleak perspective.
Breaking Bad spinoffs might be off the table (For now)
While speaking with Rolling Stone about the upcoming Better Call Saul finale, Vince Gilligan discussed the probable future of the Breaking Bad franchise. Though the creator showed a desire to revisit the universe, he provided a sad update on potential spinoffs, implying that there was no means to effectively expand the series. He said:
“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.”
With Gilligan having developed a diverse cast of characters with intriguing backstories and demonstrating his and Gould’s ability to effectively keep the series going with Better Call Saul, many fans have understandably hoped for the Breaking Bad universe to continue in some manner.
Unfortunately, based on Gilligan’s statements, it appears like fans of the series will have to wait for a while, as the creator of Breaking Bad doesn’t know how to grow his franchise in a meaningful way. Given the mixed reactions to El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, which some saw as an unneeded tale, it may come as welcome news that Gilligan isn’t aiming to just expand the series.
