After two failed Supernatural spinoffs, the CW may have finally found a winning formula with a new Supernatural prequel based on the lives of John and Mary Winchester. The Winchesters, currently in development by the CW, will be executive produced by Supernatural star Jensen Ackles and his wife Danneel through their production company Chaos Machine Productions. With a stronger connection to the show's stars and deep ties to the main story arc, The Winchesters has the potential to succeed where the CW's other proposes Supernatural spinoffs have failed.
The Winchesters is "the 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," according to an official synopsis. One major draw for fans is the involvement of Ackles, who will reprise his role as Dean Winchester by becoming the show's narrator. The Winchesters is also written and executive produced by Robbie Thompson, former co-executive producer of Supernatural. Thompson's work on Supernatural started with season 8, episode 1, "We Need to Talk About Kevin," and stretched through season 12, episode 6, "Celebrating the Life of Asa Fox." Season 12 is also the season in which Mary Winchester (Samantha Smith) was revived.
The CW has tried to launch Supernatural spinoffs before. In 2014, the show aired a backdoor pilot for Bloodlines, a drama focused on the clash between hunters and five mob-like monster "families" that secretly run Chicago's underworld. With an all-new cast of characters, Bloodlines didn't get much buy-in from fans and quickly died. In contrast, fans were overwhelmingly ive of a second Supernatural spinoff, Wayward Sisters, also introduced as a backdoor pilot in 2018. Still, despite its popularity and positive reviews, the CW chose not to pick the show up. So what will make this new prequel different? The CW is taking a new approach with the spinoff's timing, story and creative team, all geared toward success.
With Supernatural now off the air, 2021 is the perfect time to introduce a new spinoff. Nostalgia is surging among fans who may have stopped watching back in season 6 but are now wishing they had some new episodes to enjoy. With a confirmed role for Jensen Ackles, The Winchesters is also a safer bet for the network. After sticking with the show for 15 seasons, there's no question whether Supernatural fans will tune in for another chance to see Dean Winchester in action. As the show will reportedly focus on a young John and Mary, it's not yet confirmed whether Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Samantha Smith will reprise their roles as John and Mary Winchester, but the actors were strong additions to the cast of Supernatural and would be valuable draws for the new prequel. That said, bringing back actors Matt Cohen and Amy Gumenick, who portrayed young John Winchester and Mary Campbell in a few Supernatural episodes, would be a nice throughline from the original series.
The Winchesters also promises a more detailed look at Sam and Dean's family history, which is integral to the overall narrative of Supernatural. There is still a lot of mystery surrounding the relationship between John and Mary Winchester. How exactly did they meet? How much of their relationship was influenced by supernatural powers? What happened in the 10 years between their engagement and Mary's death? The Winchesters hints at answers to a plethora of unanswered questions that would fill in the blanks in canon.
In addition, episodes featuring John and Mary Winchester have proven popular among fans. Supernatural's most-watched episodes, by season, include "In The Beginning," where Dean time-travels to his parents' past, and the Supernatural's 300th episode, "Lebanon," where there is a Winchester family reunion. The drama of familial relationships drove Supernatural forward to become the longest-running genre show in TV history. The Winchesters embraces that same dynamic, inviting fans to laugh, cry and think about how our siblings, parents and loved ones affect our lives.