A few months after the series finale of a prequel series called The Winchesters, which will revolve around the supernatural lives of John and Mary Winchester before they have Sam and Dean.
While the thought of a new series narrated by Dean is promising for some fans, others are worried about the continuity errors surrounding John and Mary's story. In the series, John does not know about the existence of the supernatural, nor does he start hunting until after Mary's death. So, how does Ackles plan to get around this? Supernatural lovers have taken to Reddit to theorize about how the new prequel will remedy the issue as well as general plot points that the spin-off might hit.
The Prequel Ends With A Mind-Wipe
Redditor Osirisavior theorizes that John and Mary will lose their memories at the end of the prequel, writing, "The series ends with a mind-wipe just before they meet Azazel." Azazel is the demon that would end up killing Mary, kickstarting the events of the 15-year-long Supernatural.
If this theory were to come to fruition, then that would explain why no one in the original show would be aware that John and Mary hunt together before having Sam and Dean. However, it is hard to imagine why their minds would need to be wiped. The only potential explanation would be that a memory wipe would allow them to feel safe enough to have two children, which fate would require. However, John already has his memory wiped once in their relationship origin tale, so another mind-eraser might be excessive.
Jack Altered The Universe At The End Of The Series
At the end of Supernatural, Jack assumes a new position as God. Redditor Osirisavor theorizes, "When Jack became God he reset the universe and tweaked some things, ala [sic] a soft reboot. So the story we follow in the prequel will take place in the rebooted universe."
This theory would for a change to John and Mary's backstory, and it would fit into the canon fairly well with a reference to the last episode. However, the question remains of why Jack would alter their lives when he resets the universe, as there does not seem to be any logical or fate-based reason since everything already plays out as it is meant to.
The Prequel Takes Place After Mary's Death
Redditor Gabe-57 says that the show might take place as a series of flashbacks, saying, "Or maybe they [sic] show will take place after Mary’s death and show their relationship through flashbacks while John figures out how the heck to be a hunter."
While audiences know that John does everything in his power to become a legendary hunter after Mary dies, they never really get to see it go down. Watching him put it all together with flashbacks of Mary as a storytelling tool might actually be an intriguing origin tale for John Winchester.
No Monsters, Just Love
While it is a far leap from Supernatural's usual style, Redditor atoepresente comments, "Maybe it will be only about John and Mary, and not about them fighting monsters. A kind of boring love story..."
The Redditor even supplements their comment with, "I don't believe what I wrote either." It may be unrealistic for the franchise, but canonically, it is actually more believable than pretending that the audience does not already know the John and Mary love story from beginning to end.
Fans Will Get To See Bobby
One Redditor throws the evergreen character of Bobby Singer into the mix, saying, "I doubt they'd up the chance to show us Bobby and John together even if they have to retcon the hell out of it."
Bobby Singer makes one of the best trios with Sam and Dean, but he is also a standalone standout character. Hearing about or maybe even seeing more of Bobby Singer would certainly be a welcome surprise for fans who are nervous about what the reboot might entail. According to this Redditor, it is likely to happen, as the shows' producers know very well how beloved Bobby is in the fandom.
Exploring More Monsters
Some fans are hoping to see more supernatural monsters in the prequel. One Redditor says, "There are so many random monsters left unseen to explore, and it could go back to actual hunts."
Rather than focusing on the stories of Mary and John, who are two of the worst characters on Supernatural, an anthology-like focus on the monsters that they hunt might be more exciting. It also may pull in more horror and fantasy fans that have not sat through all 15 seasons of the parent series.
Mary's Life As A Hunter & John's Life As A Soldier
One Redditor theorizes about exploring Mary and John in parallel, saying, "...It could easily be about Mary's life as a hunter and John's life as a soldier/war hero and how it works together 2 [sic] create our boys."
Watching these two characters' lives run parallel to each other rather than showing their interactions with each other could be a smart way to go about the prequel. It is true that the audience already knows plenty about the origin of Mary and John, but a series that depicts the specific qualities that they bring from their individual lives to their relationship and parenthood over Sam and Dean could be interesting. Mary's storyline would also maintain the element of the supernatural without breaking John's canon.
Ignoring The Canon
Redditor ProphetChuck says, "They will probably retcon a lot of stuff, like John becoming a hunter after Mary's death." The term "retcon" refers to the writers disregarding events from the canon for the sake of moving the story in a certain direction.
The series is no stranger to retcons, which is why there are so many continuity errors in Supernatural. However, that does not mean that it will be welcomed by audiences in the prequel. If the reboot is going to lead up to one of the all-time greatest TV pilots, then the plot should be entirely consistent with the show's canon.