‘Breaking Bad’ Creator Vince Gilligan Shuts Down Theory That Walter White Is Alive

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“Breaking Bad” famously ended with the image of Walter White on the ground of a meth lab bleeding out from gunshot wounds. The camera pulled up as a smile of satisfaction came across Walter’s face while he lay motionless on the floor. A cop rushed over to check his pulse as the screen cut to black. Series over. The “Breaking Bad” ending suggests Walter White is dead, but writer-director Vince Gilligan never confirmed as much in his script. The ambiguity of the show’s final shot has led “Breaking Bad” fans to wonder over the last six years if Walter was alive or not, and now fans finally have a definitive answer.

Gilligan recently appeared on “The Rich Eisen Show” (via Esquire) to promote the upcoming “Breaking Bad” movie “El Camino” and was asked whether or not Walter is alive or dead. Gilligan has been notoriously non-definitive when it comes to answering this question in the past. In a 2017 Reddit AMA, Gillian replied to a fan, “Sure looked that way to me!,” which was more of a suggestion than an outright confirmation. Fortunately, Gilligan was feeling definitive when speaking with Eisen.

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“Yeah, I’m gonna give you that one, Rich, because I love you so much,” Gilligan said. “Yes, Walter White is dead. Yes.”

There you have it, “Breaking Bad” fans: Walter White is dead. But just because Walter is no longer alive in the “Breaking Bad” timeline doesn’t mean he won’t show up in “El Camino.” The “Breaking Bad” movie, which Gilligan wrote and directed, follows Aaron Paul’s Jesse Pinkman in the aftermath of the series finale. The movie picks up right where the series finale left off, but it appears it will include flashback sequences that make a reappearance from the now-dead Walter a big possibility.

The flashback rumors were all but confirmed by Jonathan Banks, who played Mike Ehrmantraut on “Breaking Bad” and has reprised the character on prequel series “Better Call Saul.” Banks said on the Emmys red carpet last month that Mike would appear in “El Camino.” The character died in the final season, so a flashback in “El Camino” would only make sense.

“El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie” debuts on Netflix this Friday, October 11.

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