The Gentlemen viewers think character is proof series is spinoff of another show on Netflix

What can make one of your new favourite shows even better? It being combined with your other favourite watch, obviously.

The Gentlemen landed on Netflix last Thursday (7 March) and has so far been an absolute hit with fans.

The series sees Theo James in the lead role of Eddie Horniman, who inherits his dad’s mega estate and consequently lands in a weed empire.

But while the show is a spin-off of Guy Ritchie’s 2019 film of the same name, fans think one of the characters is proof it’s also a spin-off of another show.

Alongside the likes of James, Vinnie Jones and Kaya Scodelario (who fans have been realising was in Skins) the new series also features

Giancarlo Esposito.

The star is, of course, known for playing Gus Fring in Breaking Bad, as well as in the crime drama’s prequel series Better Call Saul.

Netflix

In The Gentlemen, Esposito plays Stanley Johnson, a meth-dealer turned businessman.

I mean, you can’t deny the irony there.

And viewers have pointed out on X: “U got Gus Fring in there, The Gentlemen and Breaking Bad could be in the same universe actually.”

Another echoed: “This Netflix Guy Ritchie The Gentlemen is great. (And they snickeringly made it part of the breaking bad universe.)”

With one left asking: “Is The Gentlemen an extension of Breaking Bad?”

Well, while the shows are made by different production companies and set in different countries and times, Esposito has revealed his take on the ‘crossover’.

For the actor, the two roles are totally different.

He explained to Digital Spy: “I did not [have any reservations] because to me Stanley's a lot lighter than Gus, he's not looking over his shoulder worrying about someone's going to kill him.

The Gentlemen. Cast: Netflix

“So there's a different feeling there.”

Esposito even admitted he didn’t actually draw any similarities between the characters at first.

“I didn't make any correlation until I realised that in his previous incarnation, which we don't see, he was a meth dealer,” he said.

While Esposito’s presence in The Gentlemen might seem like an obvious bit of an Easter egg, the show also nods to Ritchie’s other work.

During the series’ fifth episode, Eddie and Susie (Scodelario) try and negotiate with a group of travellers in a caravan.

And eagled-eyes fans might notice this is a nod to 2000’s Snatch where Brad Pitt’s character Mickey tried to haggle a deal with Turkish (Jason Statham) and Tommy (Stephen Graham) for a caravan in ‘periwinkle blue’.

Topics: Netflix, Breaking Bad, TV and Film

Jess Battison

Jess is an Entertainment Journalist with a love of all things pop culture. Her main interests include keeping up with the Twitter girlies, waiting for a new series of The Traitors and losing her voice at a Beyoncé concert. She graduated with a first in Journalism from City, University of London in 2021 and has previously worked at MyLondon.

@jessbattison_