Entertainment
‘Supernatural’ Is Ready To Return, but There’s a Catch
When Supernatural finally ended after 15 seasons, it was a bit bittersweet. On one hand, the show had actively run its course on The CW. The series had sort of lost itself near the end, concluding with a standalone hunt that kills off Dean (Jensen Ackles) and gives us a glimpse at Sam’s (Jared Padalecki) future. On the other hand, Supernatural is the type of show that feels like it could (from a creative standpoint) live forever if only it refocused on what made it great in the first place. Indeed, not only do fans want the Winchester brothers to return for more, but many of the cast members (main and recurring alike) are still jonesing for more after all this time — there’s only one thing getting in the way.
The ‘Supernatural’ Cast Wants To Return for More
For years now, Ackles and Padalecki have made it clear that they are looking for ways to bring Supernatural back. You don’t have to go very far to find some convention clip or interview quote of the pair (or any of the show’s long-time guests) waxing poetic about what they would like to see if the Winchesters came back for more. But if there’s one thing that’s consistent about their thoughts on a Supernatural return — besides their shared desire for a shortened episode count and Ackles’ hopes that the Winchesters will come back True Detective-style — it’s that it has to be the right time and the right way.
“If and when Supernatural comes back, it’s going to be a labor of love, and we’re gonna put every hour in to make sure that it’s as true to the canon and to the fandom and to the story and to the characters as possible,” Padalecki told Collider back in 2024. “I just don’t know when I’m available. I don’t know when he’s available. But again, my answer is yes.” Of course, since then, the pair have reunited on not one but two television projects, appearing opposite Misha Collins on The Boys for an impromptu Supernatural reunion and again as themselves on a recent episode of The Rookie. At this point, all Supernatural is lacking is a clear direction and a little bit of time. As Ackles told Collider last summer in an in-depth profile:
“It sounds like Amazon’s going to have to come up with an idea on that one, because they’re controlling my schedule right now. But look, we’ve talked about our love for the show. We continue to talk about it. We continue to do conventions and fan appearances and stuff, and talk about it. I feel like it’s one of those things where, if it happens, then let’s go.”
Busy schedules are certainly the main factor here. Padalecki had been focused on The CW’s Walker for several years there before it was axed in 2024, and Ackles’ schedule is currently managed by Amazon. Aside from his recent work on both The Boys and the short-lived Countdown, he’s now headlining the former’s prequel series Vought Rising. It’s clear that the Supernatural stars are itching to work together again and reunite on the small screen as Sam and Dean. Right now, the closest thing we’ve gotten to a genuine Winchester revival is the recent Dynamite Entertainment comic series set during the first season.
Could Prime Video Find a Way To Resurrect ‘Supernatural’?
While the stars of the hit horror/dark fantasy series are primed and ready for more, whether there is more Supernatural is ultimately up to the folks at Prime Video. Aside from needing to clear Ackles’ schedule, the program’s new streaming home could be the perfect place to bring the Winchesters back for a limited run, maybe in the same vein as The X-Files‘ shortened revival seasons. Given that series creator Eric Kripke already has a shorthand with the streamer, perhaps a pitch from the man who brought them The Boys would spark some interest. Back before the superhero deconstruction ended, Kripke had expressed to Collider his interest in seeing more Supernatural:
“Of course, I’d want to see it. Whether I’m a part of it depends on, could I find something fresh about it that I have never seen before? Obviously, I’ve told a lot of those stories, but if there was something out there that really surprised me, I love that universe, and I’d be interested in looking at that. It’s tricky to find what story in that universe hasn’t been told, but if someone can find one, I’m all in, baby.”
While Supernatural itself is owned by Warner Bros. Television, this wouldn’t be the company’s first collaboration with Amazon. After all, Batman: Caped Crusader is a DC/WB property that has found its way to Prime Video, so there is certainly some precedent there. Of course, Warner Bros. Discovery was recently purchased by Paramount, which could complicate things, though perhaps Paramount+ — which is already home to the supernatural thriller series Evil — could be a good place for Supernatural as well. However you slice it, Kripke knows what Padalecki and Ackles have already revealed: the right story would have to present itself.
‘The Boys’ Officially Returns With Bone-Crunching First ‘Vought Rising’ Trailer
Jensen Ackles and Aya Cash lead the new series.
Though if you ask this author, maybe the best way to bring the Winchesters back is by returning to the show’s initial horror roots, emphasizing their exploration of American urban legends, and pushing the world-ending stakes aside — you can’t really get bigger than Chuck (Rob Benedict), after all. Whether that means following alternate universe versions of Sam and Dean or finding some clever way to explain away their brief reunion so as not to contradict the series finale, that’s up to the writers to decide… As Dean once said, “Let’s get to work.”
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