Let's get the old gang back together: Giancarlo Esposito says that if "Breaking Bad" does a "Better Call Saul" spinoff, he'd be open to appearing on it.
Bob Odenkirk, who plays criminal lawyer Saul Goodman, tells Vulture that "Breaking Bad" creator Vince Gilligan "clearly thinks it’s a possibility" that Goodman could deserve his own series. Gilligan has been publicly kicking around the idea since last summer.
How could Esposito get involved? Goodman first connected Walter White (Bryan Cranston) with Esposito's character, Gustavo "Gus" Fring — and Esposito said in a January interview with TheWrap that he's open to a reunion with the "Breaking Bad" team, including in a spinoff.
But wait, you say. How could Gus return? He's (spoiler alert, if you haven't seen Season 4) dead.
That's true. But dead characters have returned to "Breaking Bad" in flashback form before, and there's no reason to think "Better Call Saul" couldn't flash back to Gus as well. "Better Call Saul" could also be a prequel — Gilligan has joked that it might need to be, if Saul doesn't get out of "Breaking Bad" alive.
"I would do a prequel if it had the same players," Esposito told TheWrap after a panel for his NBC series, "Revolution."
Esposito said the chances seemed "slim" that he would ever return to "Breaking Bad" in flashback form. But he said he would love to find some way to work with the cast, crew and writers again. The AMC drama's final eight episodes air this summer.
"That's a show I would yearn to go back to do and would work out somehow with these very kind folks here at NBC," he said. "I would love to go back to that show in some configuration. I feel as if it's forced, it's not going to work. But if it's a natural progression and time allows, I would certainly love to do it."
Esposito said some part of him didn't want to add to return to the role of Fring — but that he might not be able to resist a reunion.
"As time went by I thought, 'Well, it's such a perfect arc. I don't know if I can go back," he said. "However, my love would probably overcome everything else, my love and respect for Vince, crew and cast and all the writers."
