Wait, Are We Getting a 'Supernatural' Season 16?!

The Big Picture

• Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles are interested in more Supernatural adventures, sparking speculation of a potential comeback for the beloved series.
• The original ending of Supernatural was meant to include a reunion of Sam and Dean with all their lost friends and family, which a potential revival could rectify.
• The cancellation of Jared Padalecki's Walker makes a Supernatural revival feel more likely than ever.

Yes, you read that headline right. The long-running dark fantasy-horror series Supernaturalmight be making a comeback — though we're not quite sure when. For fifteen seasons and 327 episodes, Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles starred as brothers Sam and Dean Winchester on the beloved WB-turned-CW series, which ended back in 2020. Since the show's ending, there have been rumblings that the Supernatural gang might be reuniting for a new season or miniseries. Though it hasn't been too long since the Winchesters last fought hell together, the prospect that Sam and Dean might return to the family business in the future is an exciting one. After all, in the world of Supernatural, anything can happen. Now that Padalecki and Ackles' schedules are a bit more open, it seems like the return of the Winchester brothers could be just around the corner.

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Two brothers follow their father's footsteps as hunters, fighting evil supernatural beings of many kinds, including monsters, demons, and gods that roam the earth.

Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki Are Interested in More 'Supernatural'

Much of this speculation began with the 2023 Creation Honolulu convention, held between November 17th and 19th 2023, when members of the Supernatural cast were in attendance to promote the series and answer fan questions. While there were plenty of stars from the series there, the most notable were Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, who reunited on stage for an extended Q&A session with fans. In response to one question about what happened after Sam and Dean's reunion in heaven, Padalecki revealed that more Supernatural adventures are being discussed. "I have some ideas, and I hope that now that the writers are back, and the actors are back, that we all get together," Padalecki explained. "Stay tuned on that," Ackles added. "There are some conversations regarding that conversation that are being had." Padalecki also spoke with Collider, confirming that if they can figure out the logistics and find a story worth telling, his answer to a Supernatural revival is a resounding yes.

There's no denying that Ackles and Padalecki have been a bit busy since Supernatural ended. Padalecki currently headlines the CW's neo-Western Walker, which is a reimagining of the original Chuck Norris series, Walker, Texas Ranger. In addition to starring in the series, Padalecki is also an executive producer and one of the driving forces behind the prequel spin-off Walker: Independence, which ended abruptly in 2023 after only a single season. Unfortunately, like its successor, Walker was recently also cancelled by the network. Ackles has also been busy since Supernatural, voicing Batman in a variety of DC animated features, such as the Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths trilogy, and playing Solider Boy in Supernatural creator Eric Kripke's latest series, The Boys. He also co-starred in the third and final season of Big Sky, and can be seen in a guest capacity on the CBS series Tracker.

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Even after Supernatural ended though, it was evident that these guys weren't done with the Winchesters. "I feel like if we had done 13-episode seasons of Supernatural, we’d probably still be doing Supernatural right now," Jared Padalecki told TV Insider back in May 2023. "I think a shortened season would just be a really strong, action-packed, story-packed season where we don’t have to do an episode like 'Bugs.'" That crack about "Bugs" aside, it's clear that the actor would've loved to do more. While Padalecki had Walker to focus on after the death of Sam Winchester, Jensen Ackles continued with the Supernatural universe via the duel prequel/spin-off The Winchesters, where he also served as an executive producer and even returned for a few episodes as Dean Winchester. Sadly, the alternate universe series only ran one season on the CW, but that doesn't mean the story's over.

'Walker's Cancellation Might Make More 'Supernatural' a Reality

In May 2024, it was announced that Jared Padalecki's post-Supernatural series Walker would be officially cancelled after its fourth season. The CW neo-Western action drama was known for reuniting Padalecki with many of his former co-stars, including Mitch Pileggi, who played Sam and Dean's grandfather, Samuel Campbell, during Supernatural's fourth and sixth seasons. Walker itself was a vast departure from Padalecki's time as a Winchester, and put his acting muscles to the test as he played a Texas Ranger tackling procedural-level cases and season-long mysteries that have nothing to do with the otherworldly or paranormal.

Furthermore, it's been noted before that the reason Padalecki hasn't appeared on Eric Kripke's The Boysalongside many other members of the Supernatural family is because of his commitment to Walker. Unlike the Prime Video series, Walker has longer seasons, more akin to Supernatural's CW run, and because of that, has been Padalecki's sole focus since his time as Sam Winchester. But now that it's over, the actor's schedule is likely much more free, and while many (including Kripke) are hoping he'll hop over to The Boys, many others are hoping this will open the door for more Supernatural.

Eric Kripke Is Interested in Returning to 'Supernatural'

Knowing that both Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki are committed to more Supernatural is by far a win. Still, perhaps an even bigger win is knowing that series creator Eric Kripke is considering a return as well. While there's no official word from the CW or the folks over at Warner Bros. confirming another season (shortened or not), the buzz surrounding the potential for more Supernatural is as strong as ever. Kripke himself wants to see more Supernatural, and that's enough for us. "Of course, I’d want to see it," the series creator explained. "Whether I’m a part of it depends on, could I find something fresh about it that I have never seen before?" Kripke acknowledges that Supernatural has already tackled just about every urban legend or other paranormal story it could at this point, but that doesn't mean there isn't a new angle one could take with the material.

A 'Supernatural' Revival Could Return to the Show's Darker Roots

If Supernatural did return for a shortened season — something more akin to what The Winchesters did — with a tighter story, the demon-hunting brothers could easily have plenty of years still left in them. Sure, the series finale ends with Sam and Dean in Heaven after their respective deaths, but The Winchesters proves that our heroes can still kick some serious monster butt from the afterlife. Because Supernatural ran so long, many felt that the quality of the series dropped after so many years of re-hashed and uninspired plots. Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki were always great, but the show itself often lacked the horror-tinged flare that made it stand out in its earliest seasons. The fact that the show was a weekly made-for-TV horror movie was what drew so many in originally, even if we stayed for Sam and Dean.

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Pour one out for Sparkle the Unicorn (and your inner child).

"I have this lofty dream of when, after things have settled, we'll tackle one more case as Sam and Dean," Ackles revealed back in 2022. "[Maybe] a nice 10-episode short-order for HBO Max – I'm just saying. Like a whole True Detective meets Supernatural. It's right there." Ackles is certainly right. The idea is right there, and given the fact that Supernatural started out legitimately scary, it's entirely possible that the show could get back there again if resurrected one final time. Of course, Ackles refers to a single revival season rather than a continued revival series of shorter seasons, but beggars can't be choosers. If we want to see the Winchesters back in action, we'll take what we can get. Plus, it's always possible Ackles and Padalecki would want to tackle more if the first batch of revival episodes goes well.

Where exactly another season of Supernatural could go after Season 15 is beyond us. For many, Supernatural peaked back when they iced the Devil in Season 5 and Eric Kripke stepped down as showrunner. Whether you agree with that assessment or not, there's no denying that Sam and Dean have pretty much killed everything in the book at this point. However the show could return, it would have to be either something really big (though, it doesn't get much bigger than God and the Darkness, right?) or something extremely personal that brings the brothers back together for a final hunt. Of course, it might be even more fun to see Sam and Dean tackle smaller cases again, like back in the old days of Supernatural.

The CW Has No Immediate Plans for a 'Supernatural' Revival

But despite what Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki are saying, it doesn't sound like The CW is all too interested in pursuing more Supernatural at the moment. After the cancellation of the actor's respective shows, as well as other genre shows, the network has been restructuring itself under its current president, Brad Schwartz. "As they say…timing is everything," noted Ackles on X (formerly Twitter) following the cancellation of The Winchesters. "With a massive Network shift coupled with an industry strike…welp…that’s some unfortunate timing." While previous network presidents have always been open to whatever Ackles and Padalecki wanted regarding Supernatural's future, Schwartz has some other ideas for the network. Currently, they don't include the Winchesters.

"We’ve had no discussions about any kind of spinoff," Schwartz announced in February 2024 (via TV Line). "Supernatural was one of the Top 10 most-streamed shows last year. And it’s an incredible franchise with an incredible legacy, incredible history." But what Ackles and Padalecki have been talking about isn't necessarily a return to their longstanding network (and after its consistent cancellation of other Supernatural spin-offs, who could blame them?), but rather a Max-based revival apart from the confines of network television — now that we'd like to see.

'Supernatural's Finale Was Changed Due to the Pandemic

When Supernatural ended, fans were incredibly split concerning the results. "Carry On" wasn't a perfect finale, but given the COVID-19 pandemic and the guidelines the series had to follow, it did pretty well. One thing that fans could mostly agree on was that it was bittersweet and that the reunion between Sam and Dean in eternity was all that we could've hoped for in the end. But how was Supernatural actually supposed to end? Well, aside from the rock band Kansas appearing in heaven at Harvelle's Roadhouse (something that would be rectified in a Season 1 episode of Walker, which Jensen Ackles directed), most of the friends and family that Sam and Dean lost on Earth were meant to return to greet them in the afterlife.

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That's right, it wasn't just Bobby Singer (Jim Beaver) who would've ushered Dean through the pearly gates. Other characters would've returned too, and it's something that co-showrunner and longtime Supernatural writer Andrew Dabb regrets couldn't happen to this day. "I love what we have now, Dean in the car on the open road, but I have to admit that I sometimes think about our original idea," Dabb expressed after the fact. "All of Sam and Dean's family and friends, and one of the greatest rock bands ever on a masterpiece of a set, and I miss it … even though it never really existed."

If Supernatural got another chance to do things right, maybe this heavenly reunion scene (or at least a revised version of it) could happen after all. While we're not sure who Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki could convince to return — Alona Tal as Jo Harvelle, please — there's no denying that a revival could bring back beloved characters that we haven't quite gotten over. While The Winchesters was able to bring back Dean, Bobby, and even Jack (Alexander Calvert), characters like Castiel (Misha Collins), whose death left fans extremely disappointed, were noticeably absent. Heck, if it was the right sort of story, Mark Sheppard might even make a reappearance as the demon Crowley.

What Could Happen in 'Supernatural' Season 16?

As we alluded to before, another season of Supernatural either has to be massive in scale or so intricate and personal that the stakes feel high even if they're not world-ending. Since the show has already done the "massive in scale" thing, the hope is for the latter. After all, the boys have already saved the world time and time again, so why revisit the same formula? Perhaps a sixteenth season of Supernatural could center on the Winchesters saving their own personal world, not unlike the show's excellent early seasons, be it Sam's family on Earth (if this, like The Winchesters, took place before their heavenly reunion, of course) or possibly another iteration of their family on another world. Who knows, maybe something invades Heaven and threatens the peace they've come to know upstairs?

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"Saving people, hunting things, the family business."

If Supernatural ultimately continues, one thing is clear: it'll be all about family. There are plenty of ideas out there that could fit neatly into the Supernatural canon, and even if Sam and Dean face something we could never suspect, we know that, like always, they'll beat it. They always have, even when it cost them everything. We may still be a ways off before the Winchester brothers return — though after Walker's official cancellation and Kripke's latest comments, it feels more likely than ever — but when they do, we're sure to hear their beloved Impala purring the whole way.

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