There's a bizarre ‘The Boys’ theory that hints at a secret connection to ‘Breaking Bad’ universe
There’s this wild theory floating among fans that ‘The Boys’ and ‘Breaking Bad’ might actually exist in the same universe, and it all revolves around one character: Stan Edgar. This theory has fans buzzing because it suggests the worlds of superheroes and drug lords are more connected than we ever imagined. Let’s break it down.
It all began in 'The Boys' Season 3, when Stan Edgar, played by Giancarlo Esposito, intervened to stop Homelander from making Starlight sing “Happy Birthday.” A fan immediately noticed the similarity to a scene in 'Breaking Bad' where Skylar White sings “Happy Birthday” to Ted—only it ends in disaster. The fan took to Reddit and pointed out that Stan Edgar’s reaction wasn’t just about controlling the situation, but his trauma from a similar, cringeworthy moment in 'Breaking Bad'. “I’m rewatching the show and i’m on season 3 episode 2 and just watched the scene where Homelander tries to get Starlight to sing happy birthday and Stan Edgar stops it from happening…,” the fan wrote.
“This made me have a major realization… The real reason why Stan Edgar stopped it was because he remembers how bad Skylar singing happy birthday to Ted was so he had to stop it… to me this 100% confirms that Breaking Bad and The Boys are connected, although he hides it well, you can tell Stan Edgar was traumatized from Skylar’s happy birthday. This changes both shows so much,” added the fan. Based on this, the theory considers that Edgar might have been triggered by the memory of Skylar’s cringeworthy birthday moment, which makes them think that ‘The Boys’ and ‘Breaking Bad’ are linked.
Well, that didn’t quite cut it for the fan theories. An over-enthusiastic fan even suggested that ‘The Boys’ might actually be a prequel series to ‘Breaking Bad’. “This was what Don Eladio meant when he said he knew who Gus was,” wrote another one. The theory has its roots in one particular dialogue exchange between Gus Fring-also played by Esposito and Don Eladio Vuente from ‘Breaking Bad’. There, Don Eladio mentions that he knows Gus, which leads some fans to speculate that ‘The Boys’ existed before ‘Breaking Bad’, with at least Gus’s backstory being tied in with the dark side of Vought.
Look a little closer, and the similarities between Stan Edgar and Gus Fring are not that hard to notice: cool-headed, meticulous, and terrifyingly powerful. Edgar controls the world of superheroes in ‘The Boys’ while Gus is running a dangerous drug empire in ‘Breaking Bad.’ There is a lot of overlap in their personalities and leadership styles, which has led many fans to believe they could even be the same kind of character, just in different worlds. But whereas this might have sounded like some wild theory when it first hit the air, it’s a fun way for fans to conceptualize how these two iconic shows could, in fact, be connected.
In fact, there’s one surprising reference in ‘The Boys’ Season 1, which most of us might have overlooked. Episode 3 titled, “Get Some,” follows Billy Butcher and the team as they clean up a bloody mess after killing Translucent. The scene resembles one from ‘Breaking Bad’, in which Walter White and Jesse Pinkman clean up the remains of a drug dealer named Emilio in the first season. Both scenes feature the main protagonists performing violent actions for the first time: this cleaning is the very first step into the criminal world for Walter White, just like for Hughie, who killed Translucent and faced the aftermath of blood and violence, as per Screenrant.
The episode also holds a second Easter egg for ‘Breaking Bad’ fans. Giancarlo Esposito, who plays Gus Fring in ‘Breaking Bad’ and Stan Edgar in ‘The Boys’, in one scene jokes about retiring and moving to Belize. To ‘Breaking Bad’ fans, this is a reference to Saul Goodman’s famous line “Send him to Belize,” a code for the hitman to kill the man. It’s perhaps, a subtle nod, but furthers the connection between the two hit series, as per Looper. This also opens up doors for ideas like perhaps even one day we’ll see a crossover- maybe even with Walter White showing up at Vought International in the series finale of ‘The Boys’. Until then, we’ll just have to wait and see if the theory holds any weight, but for now, it’s definitely given fans something new to talk about!
