Over its five seasons on the air, AMC’s hit drama Breaking Bad played host to plenty of interesting supporting characters, from one episode wonders to long-term antagonists. Arguably the most intriguing member of the series’ supporting roster was New Mexico meth kingpin Gustavo “Gus” Fring (Giancarlo Esposito), who spent his days operating his legal front business Los Pollos Hermanos, and his nights committing all kinds of heinous acts in pursuit of total control of the drug world.
While Gus eventually met a ghastly end at the hands of Bryan Cranston’s Walter White, he’ll soon get a new lease on life during season 3 of AMC’s prequel spinoff Better Call Saul, which chronicles the titular character’s transformation from a mostly law-abiding attorney into the go-to lawyer for Albuquerque’s criminal underworld.
Of course, the Gus fans see on Saul won’t quite be the merciless, brutally efficient tyrant Breaking Bad fans came to know and fear, as just like Saul Goodman, Gus Fring isn’t quite yet fully formed back when Saul takes place. While Saul season 3 will allow viewers to see more of Gus’ past, Esposito recently told EW that he would very much like to make a limited spinoff series specifically focused on Gus’ story. Here’s his full comment on the matter:
While Esposito wanting to grant a bigger spotlight to arguably his signature acting role isn’t too surprising, one wonders what a potential Rise of Gus series would actually end up being like. As Esposito mentions elsewhere in that same EW interview, Gus as a character is “primarily a mystery,” and most would likely agree that this mysteriousness is part of what makes him so interesting. A series focused entirely on Gus would surely run the risk of overexposing the character, and thus weakening his power.
“Well, it’s been something I’ve mentioned over and over again. Maybe Vince or Peter haven’t seen it or maybe AMC and Sony haven’t seen it. I certainly have mentioned it to my people, it’s out there. In all fairness to Vince, they’re folks who have a lot on their plate and are focusing on making this one show great. A reporter said to me the other day, “Let’s face it, we’re in the third season of Saul. Two more seasons and then you have your bookends in a way. What’s after that?” That comes up very, very quickly. So I keep talking about it because maybe it’s a reality, although I feel like if we explore all the places of Gus in Saul that I’m satisfied with, there may be no need for The Rise of Gus.”
On the other hand, with the mammoth success of both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, it’s easy to imagine that AMC might want to continue the universe with another spinoff series following the end of Saul, and a limited Gus series could conceivably fill that void for awhile. For the time being, fans should get used to Gus being back in the mix, as he’s set to also be included in Saul during seasons 4 and 5, according to Esposito.
Better Call Saul season 3 airs Mondays on AMC.
Next: Better Call Saul Season 3 Builds Tension By Teasing a Fan-Favorite Villain
Source: EW
