Ever since Breaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul was announced, there has been plenty of speculation over whether stars of the original show would appear - and indeed how that could happen in a prequel.

Now Bryan Cranston has said it's unlikely his iconic character will be appearing in the new series. However, he will be taking part behind the camera when he directs an episode of the already commissioned second season.

Speaking to the Daily Beast, Cranston says he doesn't know "in what context" a Walter appearance would work "because we’re in different phases. The characters didn’t meet until the second season of Breaking Bad, when Walter needed to meet him. I suppose they could have a serendipitous brush of each other down the street or in the market, but I don’t know what good that’ll do - it’s just a little cookie"

However, Cranston does say he's looking forward to working with the old crew again as a director, given how many of the original production team are working on Better Call Saul. In terms of cast, Bob Odenkirk will return as Saul Goodman, and Jonathan Banks will reprise the role of Mike, with cameos likely from other Breaking Bad stars. You never know - Cranston could still make a surprise appearance somehow.

Cranston directed 3 episodes of Breaking Bad over the course of its run.

Better Call Saul is set to debut in early 2015.

On a related note, this amusing clip has been doing the rounds over the last few days. It offers a slightly different take on one of Breaking Bad's iconic scenes: