Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) has a special gift. During the five seasons “Prison Break” was on the air, he showed that there wasn’t a single penitentiary on the planet he couldn’t break in or out of. Granted, he didn’t visit every prison in the world, but the show establishes that he knows how to get out of any sticky situation, so why should we believe that there are any cells that could keep him locked up? For viewers, Michael’s escapades provided some edge-of-the-seat entertainment, even when the series started getting ridiculous and running out of steam.
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Then again, prison wasn’t the only problem Michael had to contend with on “Prison Break.” At one point, he suffers from a brain tumor that puts his life in danger, requiring him to get an experimental treatment. However, his problems further intensify when he enters into business with some bad people and gets caught up in an explosion. With that in mind, does Michael make it out of “Prison Break” alive? Or does he go out in a blaze of glory?
Michael dies on Prison Break … then comes back
“Prison Break” was originally canceled after four seasons, and Michael Scofield was given a heroic death in what could have been the last-ever story set in this universe. While rescuing his main squeeze, Sara Tancredi (Sarah Wayne Callies), from her own imprisonment in the TV movie “Prison Break: The Final Break,” he sacrifices himself by fusing two wires together, creating an explosion that ultimately opens the electronic door she must walk through to free herself from the pen.
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Everyone thinks Michael bites the dust following the explosion, but “Prison Break” season 5 proves otherwise. In this installment, we find out that he was approached to work for a CIA agent in exchange for his and Sara’s freedom, but there was a catch: he had to fake his own death and become a ghost. His new gig is also quite problematic, as the agent is a rogue who makes Michael break some powerful bad guys out of jail — the kind who actually deserve to be stuck behind bars.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel for Michael and his family, though, as he doesn’t stay gone forever. What’s more, he is eventually reunited with his loved ones, but calling his journey toward happily ever after complicated is the understatement of the century.
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What happened to Wentworth Miller after Prison Break?
Michael Scofield is given a happy ending on “Prison Break.” In short, he escapes from a Yemeni prison after the aforementioned rogue CIA agent frames him for a murder he didn’t and marries Sara, who still believes that Michael is dead. After clearing his name, though, he is finally reunited with Sara to live a life of peace, and the pair ride off into the proverbial sunset.
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Wentworth Miller, meanwhile, has kept a low profile since the show ended. Apart from appearing in some episodes of “Legends of Tomorrow,” “Batwoman,” and “Madam Secretary,” he hasn’t shown much interest in acting — a shame, really, as “Prison Break” was a hit series that gave him lots of momentum.
At the same time, that could be down to being selective with the type of roles he accepts moving forward, as he is no longer interested in playing characters like his “Prison Break” protagonist. As such, fans of the crime drama shouldn’t look forward to seeing him reprise Michael down the line.
Wentworth Miller won’t return to Prison Break
“Prison Break” has received a new lease of life thanks to streaming, making the series the ideal subject for the reboot treatment. If that happens (and it looks likely, as Hulu is developing a reboot), fans shouldn’t expect to see Wentworth Miller’s character break in and out of the pen again. The actor wants to put that chapter of his career behind him, and he’s made that clear.
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In a now-deleted Instagram post (via FandomWire), Miller — who came out as gay in 2013 — revealed that he isn’t interested in playing straight characters anymore, so reprising Michael is out of the question. In his own words:
“I’m out. Of [‘Prison Break’]. Officially. Not of static on social media (although that has centered the issue). I just don’t want to play straight characters. Their stories have been told (and told). I understand this is disappointing. I’m sorry. If you’re hot and bothered you fell in love with a fictional straight man played by a real gay one … That’s your work.”
Miller isn’t the only member of the original “Prison Break” cast that won’t return for the planned reboot. The show is set to feature a brand-new ensemble, with actors like Emily Browning and Drake Rodger having already been cast. The franchise is moving in a different direction, but will any of the new characters be able to cheat death the same way Michael did back in the day? Only time will tell.
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