Jason Bateman addresses theory about his Ozark and Arrested Development characters

Jason Bateman has addressed a fan theory that his characters in Ozark and Arrested Development are the same people.

The actor stars in Netflix’s drama Ozark as Marty Byrde, a financial advisor who becomes involved in a money-laundering scheme.

However, some fans theorise that there are intense similarities between Marty and Michael Bluth, Bateman’s character in Arrested Development.

In this theory, Michael is Marty after he has been through a witness protection scheme, with many viewers speculating that Ozark contains a number of Arrested Development Easter eggs.

Speaking to The Guardian, Bateman said that while he didn’t want to ruin any fan debates, the pair definitely had “similar blind spots”.

“Their arrogance and hubris leads to early decisions,” he said. “Perhaps they should think a little bit longer about what they do.”

Discussing similarities between the two shows, Bateman continued: “I’m not too far removed from a drama when I’m doing Arrested Development and I’m not too far from a comedy when I’m doing Ozark.

“In a drama, I’m not the person with a knife, I’m the person getting chased. In a comedy, I’m not the person farting, I’m the person who smelled it.”

The first seven episodes of Ozark season four were released on Netflix last week, with the mid-season finale containing a shocking twist.

Ozark is available to watch on Netflix now.