‘BREAKING BAD’ Creator Vince Gilligan Wanted to Kill Off Walter White’s Son


made a habit of testing viewers’ nerves with shocking betrayals and unexpected character deaths, but it seems that series creator
had some ideas that went to even darker places than fans saw in the show. In one interview, Gilligan recalled pitching the idea of killing one character that proved so divisive it never made it beyond the brainstorming table.

In an unexpected twist, it was proposed by one of the writers that Walter White’s son, Walt Jr., should be written out of the series early on, but this idea was deemed too bleak to consider during the show’s development process. As Gilligan explained in an interview (via Team Coco), the suggestion raised eyebrows due to its dark nature.

Initially during Breaking Bad’s production, Gilligan considered having Walt Jr.’s character killed off by a shady individual with whom Walt was connected in some way. When he shared this idea with his writing team, they found it hard to believe and looked at him as if he had gone crazy.

For viewers, Walter Jr. (played by RJ Mitte) was a moral anchor for Bryan Cranston’s Walter White, and a character that was essential to keep alive to show how White’s descent into the life of a criminal impacted the family unit. It is probably not surprising that the other writers on the show pushed back on the idea of killing off the character, and, needless to say, they made the right call.

Could We Get Another Glimpse Into the ‘Breaking Bad’ Universe?

In the end, Breaking Bad rose to become one of television’s all-time best due to exceptional writing and acting across its five seasons. Despite several characters meeting their demise, the show’s finale in 2013 was only a prelude to the larger narrative.

Gilligan expanded the show into a franchise, first with the sequel movie, El Camino, which followed Aaron Paul’s Jessie Pinkman as he negotiated life post-Walter White. This was followed by the prequel series, Better Call Saul, which saw Bob Odenkirk deliver a barnstorming performance as the criminal lawyer who is not always on the right side of the law himself.

Better Call Saul came to a close in 2022 after six seasons that proved Breaking Bad was not just a flash in the pan. While Odenkirk did not receive the awards glory that many believed he deserved – the series broke a record as the series to earn the most Emmy nominations (53) without winning any of them – fans were more than happy with the show and immediately wanted to know what comes next.

As it stands, Gilligan has hinted that he could return to the Breaking Bad universe in some way in the future, but for now, he is done with Walter White and everything that came with him. There are several characters who could be spun out into their own stories – with Giancarlo Esposito’s Gus Fring being one such candidate for his own spinoff – and it is likely that Gilligan will return to Breaking Bad in some way, when he feels he has a new story worth telling.

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2025-03-15 17:40