Fri. Mar 29th, 2024


Bryan Cranston, Popcorners, Super Bowl, ad, Heisenberg

Bryan Cranston is the one who pops in a sneak peek at a new Super Bowl ad for Popcorners. Cranston will reprise his iconic Breaking Bad character, Heisenberg, for the Frito-Lay brand treat that will hit hard with football fans during the biggest game of the year. The ad features Cranston as his hard-as-nails character from Breaking Bad, standing tall in a remote desert with a bag of delicious cheddar-flavored Popcorners in hand. People say Popcorners pair well with roof pizza, but I have yet to try that culinary combination. Heisenberg is back, and he’s feeling snacky!

Breaking Bad ended in 2013, but that hasn’t stopped Cranston from bringing Walter White, aka Heisenberg, back for 2019’s El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, two episodes of Better Call Saul, and other adverts across a variety of products. In 2019, Cranston and Aaron Paul (Jesse Pinkman) created a mezcal brand called Dos Hombres, which the duo hocked to watering holes across the United States.

While Heisenberg’s blue meth-making days are a thing of the past, that hasn’t stopped marketing companies from turning the character into a spokesperson for products aimed at all ages. When Breaking Bad was still on the air, it wouldn’t be uncommon to find children and teenagers wearing Heisenberg t-shirts. Never mind the fact that the character is a criminal and drug pusher.

Cranston currently stars in the Showtime legal drama Your Honor, but you can also catch him in two upcoming film projects. The first film on Cranston’s list of forthcoming features is Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle, starring Henry Cavill, Catherine O’Hara, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, John Cena, Dua Lipa, and Samuel L. Jackson, among others. The second project is Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City. In the film, world-changing events throw a Junior Stargazer convention’s itinerary into disarray. Joining Cranston for Anderson’s next feature are Edward Norton, Margot Robbie, Tom Hanks, Scarlett Johansson, Maya Hawke, Steve Carrell, Tilda Swinton, Hope Davis, Rita Wilson, Hong Chau, Adrien Brody, Tony Revolori, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Sophia Lillis, Rupert Friend, and Jason Schwartzman.

How do you feel about Heisenberg shilling for Popcorners? Is the ad a clever way to bring the character back, or has Heisenberg lost his edge? Feel free to let us know what you think in the comments.



By Dave Jenks

Dave Jenks is an American novelist and Veteran of the United States Marine Corps. Between those careers, he’s worked as a deckhand, commercial fisherman, divemaster, taxi driver, construction manager, and over the road truck driver, among many other things. He now lives on a sea island, in the South Carolina Lowcountry, with his wife and youngest daughter. They also have three grown children, five grand children, three dogs and a whole flock of parakeets. Stinnett grew up in Melbourne, Florida and has also lived in the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, and Cozumel, Mexico. His next dream is to one day visit and dive Cuba.