Warning: the story below contains spoilers for El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie.
Bryan Cranston has revealed that he hesitated at the prospect of returning to the Breaking Bad universe, as he was only prepared to do it under certain conditions.
The actor reprises his role as Walter White in El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, which was released on Friday 11 October.
While fans were thrilled to see Cranston return as the show’s protagonist, Cranston was asked by Rolling Stoneif he had any pause about portraying White again, and answered with a partial yes.
He then explained that it was critical to him that White’s storyline, including his death in the 2013 series finale, be preserved moving forward.
“I would say that yes, if [Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan] came to me and said, ‘Let’s do the series again. Walter White didn’t die. Let’s just say that, and then we’ll see if we can get two or three more years out of it,’ that’s when I would have to say, ‘I don’t think we should,’” Cranston said.
“What he wrote for the conclusion of the series is, to me, perfect. So I think that would be a problem if he wanted to. But I know he doesn’t.”
Instead, Cranston said he was pleased to see El Camino focus its attention on Aaron Paul’s character Jesse Pinkman, with White reappearing in a flashback scene.
The actor said being asked by Gilligan to reprise his role as White was “wonderful” as he trusted Gilligan, who wrote and directed the film, to respect his character’s integrity.
“I was really grateful that he thought of me to be a part of this,” he said. “At the same time, I was wondering, ‘How the hell is that going to work?’
“I guessed it only could be retrospective, in flashback, and said, ‘OK, whatever he has to do.’”
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie is out on Netflix now. You can read our review and consult our list of all the characters who make an appearance in the film.
