It’s been three years since fans last saw Better Call Saul’s Bob Odenkirk don the loud suits and crooked smile of Saul Goodman. Yet the character still looms large in pop culture. Introduced in Breaking Bad before headlining his own spinoff (which many argue surpassed the original), Odenkirk transformed Saul from a comical sidekick into one of TV’s most unforgettable antiheroes. Now, the writer-turned-actor is opening up about what it would take for him to return to the Breaking Bad universe, and how, in his eyes, that story could continue.
During an exclusive interview with TODAY, Bob Odenkirk revealed that if Saul were to return, the story would need to reflect where viewers last left him, serving an 86-year prison sentence. Still, for Odenkirk, the role holds a deep personal significance, and he admits it wouldn’t take much to bring him back:
That part turned my life around, and I’ve given more to that part than anything I’ve done. Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould created that show. They are some of the best writers who ever worked in TV. So if they were to think of something in that world, of course I would do it.
The Saul series finale saw Goodman finally confess to his role in Walter White’s empire and the death of Howard Hamlin, capping off years of transformation from Jimmy McGill, the struggling public defender, into Albuquerque’s most notorious criminal lawyer. As Odenkirk sees it, continuing Saul’s story means leaning into that consequence rather than undoing it. He continued:
He’s not getting out [of prison]. If there’s another Saul show, it takes place inside prison.
Hey, that’s not a terrible idea. There are a ton of brilliant shows and movies that take place in a prison. Also, if anyone could find a way to make a compelling TV show set inside a prison wall, my money would be on Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould.
At the same time, Odenkirk is realistic about the chances of another Better Call Saul or Breaking Bad-related spinoff. Both Gilligan and Gould have moved on to new projects, and the actor says he doesn’t expect them to circle back anytime soon. He added:
But I don’t think so… I think they’ve all moved on to some more amazing projects that you’ll soon see.
He’s not wrong. Gilligan is currently developing Pluribus, a psychological sci-fi drama for folks with an Apple TV+ subscription starring Better Call Saul co-lead Rhea Seehorn. The series has already received a two-season order and is set in a reimagined version of modern-day Albuquerque, promising to take Gilligan’s signature storytelling in an entirely new direction. Bob Odenkirk has already had a sneak peek, beyond that unsettling teaser we all got, and he has nothing but praise.
Bob Odenkirk isn’t slipping back into Saul’s Italian loafers, yet he’s keeping plenty busy. His action sequel, Nobody 2, just hit the 2025 movie schedule and is currently in theaters. He’s continuing to explore new roles that take him beyond the morally compromised men he’s become famous for playing. On that note, both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul are available to stream with a Netflix subscription.
