Despite a 'funny' and 'intellectual' premiere, 'Breaking Bad' has not gone soft in its penultimate season, Bryan Cranston tells MTV News.

They're done when he says they're done — and for Bryan Cranston, he's not done yet.

Television's most notorious meth cook, Walter White, is coming back with more of the blue stuff when "Breaking Bad" premieres its fifth season July 15. With Gus Fring gone, Walt's future as a criminal mastermind is wide open and full of twists and turns — and bodies. Lots and lots of bodies.

MTV News caught up with Cranston earlier in the week with just two days remaining before wrapping the fifth season. (The show resumes production on its sixth and final season in about five months, he said.) Keep reading for five season-five teases from the one who knocks!

Gone With The Fring



The only thing more deep-fried than Los Pollos Hermanos' delicious chicken is Gus Fring's charred corpse. The drug kingpin and neighborhood businessman died a brutal death at Walt's hands at the end of season four, a brilliant act of violence that resulted in the sad departure of actor Giancarlo Esposito. Cranston mourns the actor's dismissal but also knows there's much more to "Breaking Bad" than the rise and fall of Gus.

"The Gus Fring story took two and a half years. He came in midway into the second season and we finished it at the end of the fourth — that's almost an ending in and of itself," the actor told MTV News. "With only 16 episodes after that, Walt has to decide whether he's out or in and how does this story wrap up. It's almost like starting anew. It's a brand-new story line as far as developing other adversaries."

Cooking Up Big Laughs



Even with new villains and obstacles on the horizon for Walt, fans can expect some measure of levity when "Breaking Bad" returns. In fact, Cranston thinks you'll be surprised by just how much the season-five premiere, titled "Live Free or Die," will make you laugh.

"As violently surprising as the season-four premiere ['Box Cutter'] was, this premiere is nonviolent," he said. "The season-five opener is funny, intellectually curious and stimulating. It's a really good episode to start us out."

Let The Bodies Hit The Floor



A nonviolent premiere doesn't mean a nonviolent season, however. Indeed, it'll be hard to dwell on the glorious death of Gus Fring for too long when there are so many other awful casualties to look forward to. Fring's fiery exit stands out as one of the show's most memorable demises, yes, but Cranston warns that the bloodshed is very far from over.

"Even though the first episode is calmer and more intellectual, that doesn't mean that 'Breaking Bad' has gone soft," he said. "There are more people who will perish this season. Quite a few more."

All Hail Heisenberg



Walter White's journey to fully break bad is not at an end. Once the upcoming season concludes, there will still be eight more episodes to look forward to. And every step along the way, there's one thing you can count on: the return of the Heisenberg hat. Wherever Walt goes next, his drug-dealing alter ego won't be very far behind, promises Cranston.

"He can't do it without the hat. Walt needs Heisenberg," the actor said. "He needs that heft and power in order to control situations. He calls upon him when he needs him. He's a great ally to Walter White."

Teasing The Teaser



There is virtually nothing else we can tell you about the season-five premiere that won't spoil some of the show's greatest surprises yet. If there's one thing to look forward to, it's this: the premiere's cold open. Once again, "Breaking Bad" delivers an enormously satisfying opening scene that's sure to raise a lot of eyebrows and blow a lot of minds.

"The teaser is so bizarre," Cranston said. "It tells a lot — and it doesn't tell anything."

Are you looking forward to the "Breaking Bad" season premiere? Let us know in the comments below or hit me up on Twitter @roundhoward!