Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
  • TotalFilm
  • Edge
  • Newsarama
  • Retrogamer
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
Don't miss these
Rhea Seehorn as Carol Sturka in Pluribus
Sci-Fi Shows Vince Gilligan initially planned for the Pluribus cast to be naked, but "we're not working for HBO"
Rhea Seehorn as Carol Sturka looking inside a dumpster during episode 6 of Pluribus
Sci-Fi Shows Pluribus creator Vince Gilligan says he is "deeper into" season 2 than he had predicted, but it will still take time
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in The X-Files
Sci-Fi Shows Ryan Coogler is "deep in" writing the X-Files reboot, and has a notebook full of advice from Vince Gilligan
Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout Fallout: New Vegas lead writer says "you can't just make your tyrants cardboard villains"
Drama Shows Breaking Bad masterpiece Ozymandias loses 10/10 IMDb score – thanks to salty Game of Thrones fans
Wonder Man
Superhero Shows Wonder Man and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms are all the better for focusing on the little guy
Wilson Bethel as Bullseye in Daredevil: Born Again
Marvel TV Shows Daredevil: Born Again season 2 showrunner and EP say Bullseye is "the hero in his own mind"
Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams in Wonder Man.
Marvel TV Shows Wonder Man is so good, it's convinced me that Marvel should only do Spotlight shows from now on
Walton Goggins as the Ghoul in Fallout season 2
Sci-Fi Shows Fallout star Walton Goggins says that fateful moment in season 2 episode 7 is "a lot to ponder"
Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna in Stranger Things season 5
Sci-Fi Movies Stranger Things nearly saw Vecna switch sides until the Duffer Brothers changed their minds
Invincible season 4
Superhero Shows Invincible creator Robert Kirkman says MCU-style superhero storytelling isn't "novel" anymore
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams wearing a red suit and sunglasses in Wonder Man
Marvel TV Shows Wonder Man's standout standalone chapter is actually a classic Simpsons episode in all but name
Matthew Lillard as Mr. Charles in Daredevil: Born Again season 2
Marvel TV Shows Daredevil: Born Again season 2 showrunner says Matthew Lillard's new villain just seems "like a totally regular guy"
Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen in House of the Dragon season 3
TV The 30 best shows on HBO Max to watch right now
Pluribus
Sci-Fi Shows Pluribus star Rhea Seehorn thinks Apple's sci-fi mystery has become so popular because it challenges its audience
  1. Entertainment
  2. TV
  3. Drama Shows
  4. Breaking Bad

17 years after creating one of TV's most famous anti-heroes, Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan wants more good guys

News
By Molly Edwards published 5 February 2025

Vince Gilligan wants to see more good guys

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Walter White (Bryan Cranston) in Breaking Bad
(Image credit: AMC)
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

Vince Gilligan might have created one of TVs most famous anti-heroes – and eventual villains – in Walter White, but he's looking for more good guys going forward.

Breaking Bad debuted back in 2008 and follows high school chemistry teacher Walt as he begins manufacturing meth to pay his medical bills after a cancer diagnosis, and he descends more and more into villainy as the show goes on.

"Walter White is one of the all time great bad guys," Gilligan said while accepting the Writers Guild Award's Paddy Chayefsky Laurel Award for Television Writing Achievement (via Variety). "But all things being equal, I think we I'd rather be celebrated for creating someone a bit more inspiring."

You may like
  • Rhea Seehorn as Carol Sturka in Pluribus Vince Gilligan initially planned for the Pluribus cast to be naked, but "we're not working for HBO"
  • Rhea Seehorn as Carol Sturka looking inside a dumpster during episode 6 of Pluribus Pluribus creator Vince Gilligan says he is "deeper into" season 2 than he had predicted, but it will still take time
  • David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in The X-Files Ryan Coogler is "deep in" writing the X-Files reboot, and has a notebook full of advice from Vince Gilligan

He went on to say that "we are living in an era where bad guys, the real life kind, are running amok," before sharing his "proposal" for writers to "write more good guys."

"For decades, we made the villains too sexy," he said. "I really think that. When we create characters as indelible as Michael Corleone or Hannibal Lecter or Darth Vader or Tony Soprano, viewers everywhere, all around the world, they pay attention. They say, 'Man, those dudes are badass. I want to be that cool.' When that happens, fictional bad guys stop being the cautionary player that they were created to be. God help us, they become aspirational. So maybe what the world needs now are some good, old fashioned, Greatest Generation types who give more than they take. Who think that kindness, tolerance and sacrifice aren’t strictly for chumps."

But, Gilligan also clarified at the start of his speech that he's "proud" of Walter and the show.

Breaking Bad is streaming on Netflix now. You can fill out your watchlist with our guide to the best Netflix shows and best Netflix movies.

Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
Molly Edwards
Molly Edwards
Social Links Navigation
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm a Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film section. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.

Read more
Rhea Seehorn as Carol Sturka in Pluribus
Sci-Fi Shows Vince Gilligan initially planned for the Pluribus cast to be naked, but "we're not working for HBO"
 
 
Rhea Seehorn as Carol Sturka looking inside a dumpster during episode 6 of Pluribus
Sci-Fi Shows Pluribus creator Vince Gilligan says he is "deeper into" season 2 than he had predicted, but it will still take time
 
 
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in The X-Files
Sci-Fi Shows Ryan Coogler is "deep in" writing the X-Files reboot, and has a notebook full of advice from Vince Gilligan
 
 
Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout Fallout: New Vegas lead writer says "you can't just make your tyrants cardboard villains"
 
 
Drama Shows Breaking Bad masterpiece Ozymandias loses 10/10 IMDb score – thanks to salty Game of Thrones fans
 
 
Wonder Man
Superhero Shows Wonder Man and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms are all the better for focusing on the little guy
 
 
Latest in Drama Shows
Jamie Bell as Niall and Richard Gadd as Ruben in Half Man
Drama Shows Baby Reindeer creator's upcoming show gets new look featuring his drastic physical change
 
 
Rachel Weisz as M. in erotic thriller Vladimir
Drama Shows Rachel Weisz's new Netflix thriller is one of the streamer's biggest flops of the year so far
 
 
Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby riding a horse in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man
Crime Shows Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man director explains how the Netflix movie differs from the show
 
 
Peaky Blinders – one of the best Netflix shows
Drama Shows The Peaky Blinders spin-off show has started filming, with leaked set pictures ushering the franchise into a new era
 
 
Oscar Isaac and Carey Mulligan in Beef season 2
Drama Shows Season 2 of hit Netflix show with 98% Rotten Tomatoes score unveils its White Lotus-esque first trailer
 
 
Jamie Lee Curtis in The Bear
Drama Shows Jamie Lee Curtis says The Bear is ending with season 5 but admits she may have "completely blown" the announcement
 
 
Latest in News
Crimson Desert
RPGs Crimson Desert devs fix missing pre-order bonuses, instruct Steam players to "restart your game" to find them
 
 
Live Action Shows Netflix's Assassin's Creed show will tell an all-new story, but return to a fan-favorite location
 
 
Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia Atreides in Dune 3
Sci-Fi Movies Anya Taylor-Joy says "there's never been anybody like" her Dune 3 character: "She is one of a kind"
 
 
GTA 6
Grand Theft Auto Ahead of GTA 6, Take-Two CEO says "It’s hard for me to imagine" including ads in a $70-$80 game: "It would seem unfair"
 
 
Arc Raiders character in witch huntress skin holding a shotgun in the dark
Third Person Shooters Arc Raiders Steam reviews wobble as it's called "very frustrating" and labelled "stale"
 
 
Alex, Steve and Dennis in Minecraft
Live Action Movies A Minecraft Movie 2 finds its Alex in Kirsten Dunst, after saying she'd happily sign up "to make a pile of cash"
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. A marketing image of the Asus ROG G700 gaming PC with a GamesRadar+ "best deal" stamp on it
    1
    Asus says forget RAMageddon, offers an RTX 5060 gaming PC with 16GB of DDR5 for a "normal" price of $1,000
  2. 2
    A gargantuan 16TB M.2 SSD has been discovered, and its price tag is bigger than my house deposit
  3. 3
    Netflix's Assassin's Creed show confirms all-new time period, but will return to a fan-favorite location
  4. 4
    Anya Taylor-Joy says "there's never been anybody like" her Dune 3 character: "She is one of a kind"
  5. 5
    I've spent eight hours exploring the Steam Spring Sale with our Games Editor, and these are the 10 best games on discount I'd recommend so far

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...