‘Mayans M.C.’ Star Michael Irby Hints at More ‘Sons of Anarchy’ Connections

Mayans M.C. has not shied away from referencing its predecessor hit series Sons of Anarchy throughout its first season, and the show will continue to do so in new episodes.

While the Southern California-set spinoff series has its own set of rules and problems to explore, Mayans has made several nods, and also brought back several faces for the Sons of Anarchy fanbase.

Michael Irby, who stars on Mayans as Santo Padre charter president Obispo “Bishop” Losa, told PopCulture.com exclusively that the new show takes its responsibility to Sons fans seriously, while also making itself stand on its own as a series.

“I felt that there was a certain level of responsibility that we had [to the fans],” Irby told PopCulture.com in a phone interview on September 27. “If you tried to fight it and say, ‘No, no. We’re something different,’ which we are… I just fully embrace that whole Sons vibe, and the Sons fans have been very welcoming, very supportive of what we’re doing, because again, I think it is in the same world.”

“You got the bikes, you got the leather, you got the Shakespeare aspect of it,” he added. “It’s still Kurt Sutter’s mad mind, and I know they’ve waited for such a long time [for a new chapter].”

Irby said the small “Easter Eggs” Mayans has provided from the old world — including the resurgence of Chucky (Michael Ornstein), who is now working for the Mayans — are fun tools for Sons fans to enjoy on the new show.

“I know when Chucky showed up it was … People literally lost their minds,” Irby said. “It was so awesome, and when they saw Gemma (Katey Sagal) in the prison, that was fantastic. So (co-creator Kurt Sutter)’s just very … it’s very cool how he’s dropping those little Easter eggs in there. Never too much, it’s never too much. It’s never not enough.”

Along with the appearances of Chucky and Gemma, the show has also made symbolic references to the series, with the image of the dead crow at the beginning of the series.

As a fun Easter Egg for fans, the show also provided a phone number that belongs to a DEA agent on the show, but in real life calls the voicemail of the Sons of Anarchy‘s auto repair shop.

As for when we can expect to see more Sons characters to show up on Mayans M.C.? Irby said anything could happen.

“It’s all in the same world,” Irby said. “People are still doing what they do and having to survive, and I imagine we would be, not to give anything away, I imagine and hope that we only see more of that crossover.”

Mayans M.C. airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on FX.