Chris Brancato pours cold water on Narcos comeback hopes

If you were still hanging on to the idea of another Narcos run, it might be time to let that go. Co-creator Chris Brancato just gave the clearest update yet, and it is basically a full stop.

While out promoting his new MGM+ crime drama The Westies, which premieres July 12, Brancato told Deadline that, in his view, the Narcos story has reached its natural end.

"I specifically attended to the Pablo Escobar portion of Narcos and that story is told, as far as I am concerned."

That tracks with his role on the original series, which launched in 2015 with the Escobar arc before expanding into Narcos: Mexico. Fans have been wondering since Narcos: Mexico wrapped in 2021 if Netflix might circle back for another chapter. Every time Brancato queued up a new crime project, hope flickered. Consider that candle pretty much snuffed out.

So what is he doing instead?

He is not leaving the crime world. Far from it. Brancato says a lot of his recent work carries the same storytelling DNA that powered Narcos, just in different settings and with new characters. In other words, if you liked the way Narcos told its stories, you will probably recognize the vibe even if the title is different.

• The Westies arrives on MGM+ July 12
• Premise: a fictionalized take on New York Citys Irish-American gang in the early 1980s, charting their violent run-ins with rival crime families and a city in transition
• Team: Brancato is joined by his longtime collaborator Michael Panes
• Scope: Brancato and Panes have mapped out a larger multi-season arc and are already talking future projects as part of his ongoing relationship with MGM+
• Expect the Narcos feel without the Narcos name

Asked if Narcos could ever return in some new form, Panes took the lighter route: "After we populate Mars, maybe there will be a Narcos: Mars." Translation: do not hold your breath.

A quick reality check on the legacy

Narcos started in 2015 with Escobars rise and fall, then morphed into Narcos: Mexico, and along the way became one of Netflixs defining original dramas. It pulled in multiple Emmy nominations, traveled globally, and set the tone for a lot of streaming- era crime storytelling. Even if the franchise never spins up again, its fingerprints are still all over what Brancato is doing next.

Bottom line: another Narcos chapter is not in the cards right now. But if you are craving that sharp, propulsive crime energy, The Westies looks like the next stop.