Supernatural Prequel The Winchesters Will Be Here In Time For Halloween
"Supernatural" is set to keep carrying on only two years after its series finale.
In May 2022, The CW gave a series order to "The Winchesters," a prequel that will focus on the courtship of John Winchester (Drake Rodger) and Mary (Meg Donnelly), parents of monster-slaying hunters Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles, who will also co-produce the series), per The Hollywood Reporter. As fans of the show know, Mary has been a hunter since she was a small child, and "The Winchesters" looks at a part of her life that should feel familiar to longtime fans of the series. When Mary's father abruptly disappears, she has to find a group of friends willing to back her up and aid her quest into the dark unknown to find her dad.
Enter nervous neophyte to the demon-slaying business, John. Having recently returned home from Vietnam, John connects with Mary and they fall in love while hunting for Mary's dad, killing demons, and helping their friends. "Supernatural" fans will also have another familiar hook into the show — Ackles will narrate the program in character as Dean.
Even though that's not necessarily the prequel idea that "Supernatural" fans were hoping to see, it certainly sounds like an intriguing expansion of the franchise lore. If you're wondering when you're going to have the chance to see how the show will deepen John and Mary's connection, look no further, as The CW has announced a launch date for "The Winchesters."
The Winchesters will premiere on October 11
Per Bloody Disgusting, "The Winchesters" will debut on October 11, and it will settle into a regular Tuesday evening timeslot. That means you'll have at least three episodes to binge on Halloween evening, should you so choose. Per Deadline, aside from Jensen Ackles, Meg Donnelly, and Drake Rodger, the show will also regularly feature Demetria McKinney, Nida Khurshi, and Jojo Fleites.
"The Winchesters" is already catching flack from the "Supernatural" fanbase for ignoring previously-established canon. In the original series, it is made clear that John was never aware of Mary's status as a hunter until after she died. Before that, he believed that monsters weren't real, and he doesn't join the family business, so to speak, until he sets off on a quest for vengeance, looping in his sons in the process. This leads to the pain that forms Sam and Dean as people.
Will "The Winchesters" be forced to perform some fancy footwork to explain that fact away? Fans will have to tune in to find out.