‘Supernatural’ Fans Rejoice: 'The Winchesters' Prequel Pilot Gets The Greenlight

Fans of “Supernatural” can finally let out a collective sigh of relief.

The CW drama series ran for 15 seasons from 2005 to 2020 and witnessed the Winchester brothers Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) saving people, hunting things… you know, the family business.

Although showrunner Eric Kripke only planned for the show to last five seasons, it quickly became a pop-culture juggernaut as it focused on the Winchester family trying to save the world from angels, demons, and even God himself.

Although both Winchester brothers are up in heaven with Baby (Dean’s black 1967 Chevy Impala), the “Supernatural” franchise is still alive and well... at least, fans hope.

On Thursday, CW announced that they gave the green light to the pilot, “The Winchesters,” which will be a one-hour prequel to the series. The series will be narrated and told from the perspective of Dean, with his voice reprised by Ackles. Dean will be narrating the love story between his parents, John and Mary.

“The Winchesters” will be executive produced by Ackles and his wife, Danneel Harris through their production company, Chaos Machine Productions. It has been plugged as an “epic, untold love story of how John met Mary and how they put it all on the line to not only save their love, but the entire world.”

Jeffrey Dean Morgan from “The Walking Dead” fame and Samantha Smith played the older versions of John and Mary on the long-running series. Matt Cohen and Amy Gumenick played the younger versions of John and Mary in flashbacks. It remains to be seen if they will reprise their roles for this newest venture.

The show will be written and produced by another familiar name: “Supernatural” co-executive producer, Robbie Thompson. Other than that, not too many details are known about the show so far. The “Supernatural” prequel was officially put in development at the CW last June, but this is the first step to a potential new series, which had seen failed spin-offs, like the “Wayward Sisters” in the past.

While Jensen Ackles has transformed into Soldier Boy for season 3 of “The Boys” (which is also helmed by Eric Kripke), Jared Padalecki has channeled his inner Chuck Norris and taken on the role of Walker Texas Ranger, which is now just called “Walker.”

The show first premiered in January 2021 and has already been picked up for a second season. Padalecki plays Cordell Walker, a widower and father of two who returns to Austin to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding his wife’s death. His wife, Emily Walker, is played by his real-life wife, Genevieve Padalecki.

Genevieve and Jared first met when they were filming the early seasons of “Supernatural,” when Genevieve was cast as one of the versions of the demon Ruby. The couple shares three children together: Odette Elliot Padalecki, Austin Shepherd Padalecki, and Thomas Colton Padalecki.

The “Walker” spin-off and prequel series will be titled “Walker: Independence.” Padalecki will serve as an executive producer of the show if it moves forward.

A description of the potential prequel series reads:

“Set in the 1800s, the potential series follows Abby Walker, an affluent Bostonian whose husband is murdered before her eyes while on their journey out West. On her quest for revenge, Abby crosses paths with Hoyt Rawlins, a lovable rogue in search of purpose. Abby and Hoyt's journey takes them to Independence, Texas, where they encounter diverse, eclectic residents running from their own troubled pasts and chasing their dreams. Our newfound family will struggle with the changing world around them, while becoming agents of change themselves in a town where nothing is what it seems.”

Actor Misha Collins, who stole the hearts of fans while playing the angel Castiel, is still running GISHWHES, short for “The Greatest International Scavenger Hunt the World Has Ever Seen.” Started in 2011, the annual competition went from under 6,000 participants to over 55,000 contestants in 2016.

Although the competition urges people to complete acts of kindness and seeks to “do good in the world,” the absurd and wacky tasks have also broken numerous Guinness World records, including the record for the longest safety pin chain in 2013.

Collins also recently released a poetry book, “Some Things I Still Can’t Tell You,” on October 12, 2021. He described the book as “both a celebration of and aspiration for a life well lived.”