A prequel to long-running fantasy show Supernatural, focusing on Dean and Sam Winchesters’ parents, is officially coming to The CW. It will be called The Winchesters and tell the love story of Mary and John Winchester, while also depict their demon-hunting adventures.
In the vein of How I Met Your Mother, Jensen Ackles will be returning as Dean Winchester, but only as a narrator – as he tells his parents’ story. Jensen and his wife Danneel Ackles told Deadline about the project last June, but it’s only just been confirmed that The CW have ordered a pilot of the series.
“After Supernatural wrapped its 15th season, we knew it wasn’t over. Because like we say in the show, ‘nothing ever really ends, does it?'” Jensen Ackles told Deadline. “When Danneel and I formed Chaos Machine Productions, we knew the first story we wanted to tell was the story of John and Mary Winchester, or rather the Supernatural origin story. I always felt like my character, Dean, would have wanted to know more about his parents’ relationship and how it came to be. So I love the thought of having him take us on this journey.”
Supernatural, which ended its 15-season run in 2020, starred Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki as brothers Dean and Sam Winchester who hunt demons, ghosts, monsters, and other supernatural beings. John and Mary were played on the show by Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Samantha Smith.
Mary is killed by a demon during the boys’ childhood prior to the beginning of Supernatural but appears through flashbacks, photos, and is briefly resurrected in the show’s later seasons. John is killed early in Season 2 but is mentioned consistently throughout the show’s run. Due to the couple’s early deaths, fans can assume The Winchesters will be working with a specific timeline leading to Dean and Sam’s births.
Supernatural ran from 2005-2020 for 327 episodes, making it the longest-running sci-fi or genre series in the history of American broadcast television. It has already attempted several spin-off shows, none of which got off the ground. Now that Supernatural has been off air for a little while, maybe there will be more appetite for a new show in that world.
While we wait to see what becomes of The Winchesters, check out our guides the the best science fiction movies and the best fantasy movies.