Vince Gilligan, who created morally dubious characters such as Walter White and Saul Goodman, recently discussed writing a “hero” for his upcoming Apple TV sci-fi drama series Pluribus. Gilligan also reflected on why he cast Rhea Seehorn, with whom he had worked previously on Better Call Saul, as Pluribus’ protagonist, Carol Sturka. Notably, the show takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which is also the setting of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.
Vince Gilligan on how Pluribus’ Carol Sturka is different from his other characters
Gilligan spoke about why he wanted to write a “hero” after Walter White and Saul Goodman. “As much as I love Walter White and as proud as I am of Breaking Bad — and as much as I know that it’ll be the first sentence in my obituary — at a certain point, you’re like, ‘God, it’d be nice to write a hero again, someone who’s trying to do the right thing,’” he told The Hollywood Reporter.
In Plurbius, Carol is a historical romance author who has to save the world from harmony, peace, and happiness. According to Gilligan, the idea behind the show started to form when he was developing early seasons of Better Call Saul. Seehorn’s compelling performance as Kim Wexler in Better Call Saul convinced him to cast her in Pluribus. Ultimately, Gilligan offered her the role towards the tail end of making Better Call Saul, and she accepted.
Gilligan stated that he liked “writing heroes again,” adding, “Carol Sturka is a hero. She’s imperfect. She can be a bit of a noodge or a curmudgeon or what have you, but we root for her. She wants to do the right thing, and she wants to save the world. And that’s refreshing.”
Pluribus’ cast also includes Karolina Wydra as Zosia, Carlos Manuel Vesga as Manousos, and Miriam Shor. The show debuts on Apple TV on November 7, 2025.
Originally reported by Tamal Kundu on ComingSoon.
