Vince Gilligan might’ve delivered the “Breaking Bad” prequel series “Better Call Saul” and the epilogue movie “El Camino,” but don’t anticipate “Heisenberg Jr.” to arrive soon. Instigator and showrunner Gilligan specifically remarked that he has “no interest” in a spinoff series focused on Walter White’s son Walt Jr., played by RJ Mitte, in an interview with Variety published ten years after the “Breaking Bad” series conclusion.
“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,” Gilligan stated. “I could pretty much guarantee right now that I have no interest in seeing that happen. That’d be a sad tribute to the show.”
He proceeded with his remarks, “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.” However, a “Heisenberg Jr.” sequel is “doubtful as hell.” Gilligan thereby said, “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.”
Gilligan acknowledged that he wishes Walter Jr. and his mother Skyler (Anna Gunn) had their own happy ending after Walter White (Bryan Cranston) passed away at the conclusion of “Breaking Bad.” He remarked, “Every now and then I find myself thinking about those characters, daydreaming about what would have happened to them. Anna Gunn and RJ Mitte are such wonderful people playing such interesting roles that I can’t help but want a happy ending for them. When ‘Breaking Bad’ ends, it’s not a very happy ending for those characters at all, but it is presented that their lives go on. I’d like to believe things get better for them.”
