Gus Fring to Return in 'Better Call Saul'

Fans of Breaking Bad have been eagerly awaiting the appearance of one of their favorite characters in the prequel spin-off series, Better Call Saul. We've been all but certain it's going to happen, and now we know for sure.

The confirmation came last weekend, when Giancarlo Esposito, the actor who plays drug kingpin Gus Fring, showed up at the Television Critics Association press tour. Esposito reportedly handed out fried chicken from Los Pollos Hermanos, one of Fring's legitimate businesses. Gus's return was also teased last week when an ad for Los Pollos Hermanos ran unheralded on TV in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where both series are set.

The ruthless Gus has long been a fan favorite Breaking Bad character, and given that he and Saul Goodman already have a working relationship in that series, it was clear that Gus needed to figure into the plot of Better Call Saul at some point.

The second-season finale of Better Call Saul hinted that Gus would finally pop up in the series' third season, but creator Vince Gilligan now admits that negotiations with Esposito weren't yet complete when that promise was made. During the TCA panel, Esposito joked that part of the negotiation included his wish to get Gus a prequel series all his own.

Better Call Saul's third season premieres on AMC on April 10.