Why a Gus Fring Series Should Be the Next ‘Breaking Bad’ Spinoff
Better Call Saul is nearing its end with season 6, but AMC could bring fans back to the world of Breaking Bad with another spinoff. Saul Goodman’s (Bob Odenkirk) story will come to a close with the prequel’s final season, but there are other characters to explore from Vince Gilligan’s vast universe. If the Breaking Bad creator does decide to dive into one of them in another spinoff series, it should be Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito). Here’s why.
The next ‘Breaking Bad’ spinoff should follow Gus Fring
Gus Fring is one of Breaking Bad‘s most notable villains, presenting a massive threat to Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) throughout the original series. And although he’s not quite the same kingpin in Better Call Saul, the character remains intimidating as ever. Few other people would have the gall to order a hit on Lalo Salamanca (Tony Dalton). And Nacho’s (Michael Mando) fate proves Gus isn’t sentimental.
With Gus so rarely expressing emotion, a spinoff would have the opportunity to show fans what’s going on inside his head. Hard-to-read characters make for fascinating leads, especially when they’re as beloved as Gus.
And Breaking Bad already laid the groundwork for a Gus prequel, offering a flashback scene that raises major questions about Gus’ life before he became the Chicken Man.
How a Gus Fring spinoff could work
Gus Fring’s storyline in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul centers on revenge, and a spinoff could reveal more about what led him there.
From the flashback in Breaking Bad Season 4 Episode 8, fans know the character’s grudge against the Salamancas and Don Eladio (Steven Bauer) stems from what they did to his friend Max. Not only did they kill someone who was important to him, but they wounded his pride as well.
Still, a lot about Gus’ backstory remains unexplored. During the same flashback, Don Eladio references the character’s time in Chile. It’s unclear what he’s referring to, but a prequel could offer further explanation. It could also reveal how Gus got wrapped up in the meth business in the first place.
There are so many questions to answer, and fans would no doubt devour a spinoff addressing them. And it seems they aren’t the only ones interested in delving deeper into Gus Fring’s history.
Giancarlo Esposito seems open to reprising his ‘Breaking Bad’ role again
During an interview with Insider, Giancarlo Esposito spoke about the possibility of another Breaking Bad spinoff focused on Gus Fring. And although nothing’s confirmed, it sounds like he and series creator Vince Gilligan are both open to the idea. Esposito even agreed that there’s more of Gus’ story to explore:
“The last days [on set of ‘Better Call Saul’], I’m tearing up and looking over my shoulder and I hear Vince say, ‘You never know.’ And so, I’ve always wanted, and felt like, there’s room for material for the rise of Gus. I feel like it’d be interesting to know where he came from.”
Hopefully, that leaves the door open to return to this world down the line. After all, we’ll miss these characters once Better Call Saul takes its final bow.
New episodes of Better Call Saul air every Monday on AMC and AMC+.
