Some might have thought that the door closed on Bryan Cranston playing chemistry-teacher-turned-meth-kingpin Walter White after the character’s dramatic death in the series finale of “Breaking Bad,” but they would be sorely mistaken. Cranston has reprised the role a couple of times since, mostly in projects directly tied to “Breaking Bad” like flashback sequences in sequel “El Camino” and the spin-off series “Better Call Saul,” but also in sillier things like some really ridiculous Super Bowl commercials. In a 2023 interview with Awards Radar, Cranston shared that he has one major condition for ever playing Walter White again, though it’s one that clearly has been met a few times already.
Though Cranston’s most recent take on White was really just an amped up version of himself channeling ole’ Heisenberg on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” he’s not entirely opposed to bringing the character back in full under the right circumstances. That’s potentially pretty exciting for fans of the misanthropic antihero, who just can’t seem to get enough of Cranston breaking bad.
Cranston’s one condition to play Walt again
In the interview, Cranston explained that he can “never underestimate” series showrunner Vince Gilligan, who created “Breaking Bad,” “El Camino,” and “Better Call Saul.” He had no problem coming back to work with Gilligan again and play Walt in flashbacks, nor did he have a problem playing the character in commercials alongside co-star Aaron Paul, who portrayed Walt’s lovable-but-damaged sidekick Jesse Pinkman. With all of those reprisals beneath his belt, he can also never say never to playing Walt again, telling Awards Radar:
“I’ll just leave it at nothing’s on the horizon and I know that Vince would not want to do something where –- he doesn’t need a paycheck and neither do I –- and so let’s honor that. But IF there was something that he that he woke up from a dream, and went, ‘Oh my God,’ and he pitched me on it, and I too, had the ‘OH MY GOD’ reaction then I’d look at it. It’s not often that you get an ‘OH MY GOD’ reaction when you read or hear a pitch. If you’re stunned and astonished by something, you should pay attention. So, if that happens, I don’t assume that will –- but if that ever did, I’d listen.”
It sounds like Cranston is game to play Walt again as long as Gilligan brings him something interesting, sort of like Danny DeVito being willing to play the Penguin again only if “Batman Returns” director Tim Burton is involved. Of course, that doesn’t rule out some silly sorta-revivals of the One Who Knocks.
Breaking bad with Philly’s biggest buffoons
Look, our reviewer wasn’t too keen on the episode of “It’s Always Sunny” where Cranston played a version of himself, but this “Sunny” fan thought it was a delightful crossover of Philadelphia’s biggest clowns and Albuquerque’s most infamous fictional drug dealers. I mean, the city of Albuquerque built statues of Walt and Jesse, so their status is pretty cemented. In the “Always Sunny” episode, Cranston and Paul are trying to market their (real-life) brand of Mezcal, Dos Hombres, and the gang decide that they want to try and get in on the celebrity booze action.
Hijinks ensue, including Charlie (Charlie Day) drinking Nickleschlager (that’s vodka and nickles) and stealing a limo, and eventually Cranston gets fed up with being bossed around. He goes full Heisenberg on everyone, delivering a terrifying monologue and putting everyone in their place only to reveal that he’s just messing with them. It’s all a bit silly, but it’s fun, and after all of that time playing a miserable, bitter character, I think Cranston deserves to have a bit of silly fun.