In 2020, the CW staple sequence Supernatural ended after a fifteen-season run. For a lot of followers, the ultimate few episodes didn’t deliver the story of the Winchester brothers to a satisfying conclusion.
The finale, Carry On, was filmed throughout COVID. As such the solid record was lower down closely from the unique plan based on Leisure Weekly. This (together with episode 18, Despair) additionally got here below heavy criticism as a consequence of how the ultimate moments of main characters performed out.
Since then, discussions of a revival have been rife among the many Supernatural solid and fandom. However will a sixteenth season come to go? Right here’s the whole lot we learn about a Supernatural revival.
Is Supernatural coming again?
Warner Bros. Discovery has not but confirmed any plans for a Supernatural revival. Nevertheless, there are indications that one thing could possibly be within the pipeline.
Lead actors Jared Padalecki (Sam Winchester) and Jensen Ackles (Dean Winchester) have mentioned the potential of a revival on a number of events in the course of the conference circuit. Essentially the most outstanding rumours got here out in the course of the Creation Honolulu conference in November 2023, based on Collider.
Padalecki mentioned: “I’ve some concepts, and I hope that now that the writers are again, and the actors are again, that all of us get collectively”. Ackles then adopted this up with “Keep tuned on that… there are some conversations concerning that dialog which can be being had.”
Jensen has had behind-the-scenes involvement with one other venture associated to Supernatural – a prequel referred to as The Winchesters, which aired in 2022. This was created by Chaos Machine Productions, which he’s a creator of, collectively together with his spouse Danneel Ackles (who had a visitor stint because the angel Anael on Supernatural).
The CW/Warner Bros. Discovery
Sadly, The Winchesters was cancelled after only a single season. Nevertheless, the truth that Jensen has been actively persevering with tales within the Supernatural universe may point out that extra exhibits are being explored, together with a revival.
Earlier than these rumours, Padalecki and Ackles had been busy with different initiatives corresponding to Walker and The Boys respectively, while Misha Collins (Castiel) performed the position of Harvey Dent on Gotham Knights.
Walker season 4 is because of launch this summer time, however Ackles has (so far as we all know) taken a again seat from his position as Soldier Boy on The Boys, while Gotham Knights is one other CW venture that has not been renewed. Due to this fact, the celebrities could also be aligning for all three main actors to have time of their schedules for a revival.
Would this be Supernatural season 16, or a Supernatural reboot?
No affirmation has been given by the solid or creators of whether or not this is able to be an official ‘season 16’, or a recent reboot. It in all probability is determined by if the unique actors are returning, or if Warner needs to do one thing totally different.
Ackles informed TV Insider in 2022 that he appreciated the concept of a shorter ultimate season: “I’ve this lofty dream of when, after issues have settled, we’ll deal with another case as Sam and Dean… [Maybe] a pleasant 10-episode short-order for HBO Max — I’m simply saying. Like an entire True Detective meets Supernatural. It’s proper there.”
Having a shorter run could be a break from Supernatural’s conventional 20-odd episode season, however would give time to concentrate on a powerful, shorter story. In that case, this can be thought of a spin-off miniseries.
Who may return for Supernatural season 16?
As we’ve already explored, we’d count on Jared Padalecki (Sam Winchester), Jensen Ackles (Dean Winchester) and Misha Collins (Castiel) to be concerned in a revival, if it involves go.
Ackles initially had plans to deliver again outdated faces in future seasons of The Winchesters earlier than its cancellation. As he informed Leisure Weekly, “We have been speaking not solely about story and the place we wished to take our solid, we have been speaking about who we have been going to deliver again from the mothership”.
As the ultimate episodes closely featured Nephilim Jack Kline (Alexander Calvert), then he may additionally return. Different possible candidates to be again on the present may embrace Rowena (Ruth Connell), Bobby Singer (Jim Beaver), Crowley (Mark Sheppherd), Jody Mills (Kim Rhodes), Donna Hanscum (Brianna Buckmaster), Gabriel (Richard Speight) and lots of extra.
If the reboot incorporates a number of the solid from The Winchesters, then we may see the return of younger John (Drake Rodger) and Mary (Meg Donnelly), and even their older counterparts (Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Samantha Smith).
The CW/Warner Bros. Discovery
We don’t but know who could possibly be concerned behind the digital camera. The Winchesters recruited former author Robbie Thompson, however earlier Supernatural writers and administrators embrace Andrew Dabb, Robert Singer, Sera Gamble, and naturally, the creator himself, Eric Kripke.
What may the plot of Supernatural season 16 be about?
Main spoilers for the ending of Supernatural and The Winchesters under
By the point season 15 of Supernatural rolled round, the stakes have been increased than ever – pitting the brothers towards God himself, AKA Chuck Shurley (Rob Benedict). Chuck had lengthy been writing the story of the brothers, pulling the strings and controlling their lives.
After lastly defeating him with the assistance of Jack, the Winchesters went again into their ordinary monster-hunting enterprise. As such, they weren’t being saved ‘protected’ by increased powers anymore. Due to this fact, Dean ended up assembly his demise by being impaled on a rusty nail throughout a median case towards vampires.
Dean has overcome many adversaries throughout his lifetime, so this ending felt extraordinarily flat and anticlimactic for a lot of followers. After his demise, he met his outdated buddy Bobby in Heaven, and drove the Impala on an countless highway, earlier than lastly assembly up together with his brother who died of outdated age.
While Sam obtained to dwell a protracted and joyful life, the viewers solely noticed this via a sequence of flashforwards, and by no means really obtained to know who his mysterious companion was – prompting followers to name her ‘Sam’s blurry spouse’. Many suspected that the girl was Eileen (Shoshannah Stern), a fellow hunter and love curiosity for the youthful brother. Nevertheless, we by no means knew for certain.
Due to this fact, a brand new season may both discover a menace to Heaven, the place the brothers tackle one ultimate case that addresses a number of the unfastened plot threads left behind in season 15. Or it may happen within the time between Dean and Sam’s deaths. This might align with occasions that befell in Supernatural’s prequel, The Winchesters.
Within the finale of this present, a younger John and Mary Winchester met a mysterious stranger who appeared ‘Again to the Future’ type in a Chevy Impala. The viewers naturally knew him as Dean Winchester.
The present reveals that these variations of John and Mary aren’t technically Dean’s mother and father. He has come to a different world, again in time, to create an alternate joyful ending for his mother and father. He offers them a letter from his grandfather, Henry (Gil McKinney), within the hope that John will perceive extra about The Males of Letters and searching and grow to be a extra caring dad or mum for the brothers sooner or later.
Dean additionally passes on his hunter’s journal to John and Mary, together with the Colt, a gun that may kill practically each being within the universe. That is so that they each stand an opportunity at dwelling towards their future enemies, corresponding to Azazel.
Due to this fact, Supernatural season 16 may discover both a multiverse or one other department of time. Maybe Dean goes again to an earlier level within the present to vary the course of historical past, or we uncover how occasions would unfold with The Winchester’s timeline and the way this might have altered the lives of the brothers and their household, which famously “don’t finish with blood”.
Ackles shared hopes to revisit these characters in some capability after The Winchesters was cancelled:
One other big unresolved plot line comes from the eighteenth episode of season 15. Dean and Cas have been being hunted by Billie (AKA Loss of life) and ended up trapped in The Bunker with no manner out.
To save lots of Dean, Castiel summoned The Empty, a void entity who the angel had made a cope with a couple of years again. He did this by doing the factor that made him the happiest, which was confessing his love for Dean.
The romantic declaration (based on Misha Collins by way of Pleasure) allowed The Empty to take each Cas and Billie, leaving Dean alone, and never giving him an opportunity to speak about this revelation from his finest buddy or discover whether or not he may really feel the identical manner.
A lot of the Supernatural fandom has lengthy been invested within the sophisticated relationship between Dean and Cas (AKA Destiel), and lots of critics argued that Cas’s assertion moments earlier than demise was an enormous disservice because it performed into the ‘bury your gays’ troupe seen in lots of TV sequence and movies earlier than.
There’s hope from many followers that Dean may reunite with Cas in a revival, and maybe lastly have a nuanced dialogue about that confession.
The CW / Warner Bros.
Attainable antagonists for the revival may embrace earlier characters corresponding to The Empty, Chuck and Lucifer (Mark Pellegrino). Alternatively, we may go to a wholly new fantasy being – maybe one that’s concerned with the multiverse or time-travel, if that’s the route that the present finally ends up taking place.
What community may Supernatural 16 air on?
That is the place issues get a bit tough. The CW is now below the possession of Nexstar, which is altering its focus to linear broadcast content material and sports activities programming from 2024 onwards. Present TV sequence on the channel, corresponding to All American: Homecoming and Superman & Lois, will proceed for now.
Conventional CW staples corresponding to Supernatural don’t align with this technique. Due to this fact, the main various is the streaming service Max – a platform Ackles has beforehand expressed curiosity in.
It’d be shocking if the revival aired on one other channel or platform that’s not a part of Warner Bros. Discovery, contemplating that the unique present was below this firm. Then once more, earlier seasons have been syndicated on main streaming platforms, so it isn’t completely unattainable.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Tips on how to watch Supernatural seasons 1 to fifteen within the UK and US
If you wish to relive the adventures of The Winchester household within the UK, then you possibly can catch seasons 1 via 15 on Amazon Prime Video. Subscriptions for this begin from £5.99 monthly for video streaming solely, or £8.99 monthly for a full Prime subscription. Notice that you just’ll need to pay additional if you wish to go ad-free.
It’s also possible to watch seasons 1 via 13 totally free on ITVX. Once more, this contains adverts. You’ll be able to join ITVX Premium to forgo these.
US readers can catch Supernatural on Netflix. Accounts begin from $6.99 monthly, and you’ll find a breakdown of the plans and pricing right here.