Summary

• Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki both found fame before starring on Supernatural, with Ackles on Days of Our Lives and Padalecki on Gilmore Girls.
• Ackles has embraced voice acting post-Supernatural, voicing Batman in several animated films, like The Long Halloween, Part One.
• Padalecki continued working on TV after Supernatural, starring as Cordell Walker in the drama series Walker, but the show was canceled after season 4.

Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles have been notable TV stars for a number of years. Prior to playing Dean Winchester on the hit series Supernatural from 2005–2020, Ackles was known as a long-time cast member on the soap opera Days of Our Lives. Getting his start on the show when he was still a teenager, Days of Our Lives was a huge jumping-off point for Ackles to be noticed by the CW network when they were casting for Ackles to creating some career-best characters, afterwards.

Dean Winchester’s equally notable brother, Sam, is played by Padalecki on the show. Padalecki’s pre-Supernatural includes playing a character who is consequently named Dean, on the hit drama series Gilmore Girls. Both Ackles and Padalecki have now become synonymous with the Supernatural franchise, as it was critical to both of their careers. Despite the centrality of Supernatural to both Padalecki and Ackles, each actor has gone on to star in other projects since the CW series ended.

9 Batman Animated Films (Jensen Ackles)

Batman / Bruce Wayne

For Ackles' first project post-Supernatural, the actor decided to exercise his voice acting chops. He did so in a high-profile role, by playing the iconic DC superhero Batman (and his daytime counterpart Bruce Wayne) in the animated feature film Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One. This computer-animated superhero feature was directed by Chris Palmer and featured Ackles, alongside a co-starring voice cast of Josh Duhamel as Harvey Dent, Troy Baker as Joker, and the late Naya Rivera as Catwoman / Selina Kyle.

Ackles Batman Movies:

Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One was followed up by Part Two. Ackles’ work on the Batman movies did not stop there, as the actor went on to voice Batman in a number of other films, most recently in Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Two. The full list of Ackles’ Batman voice acting credits includes Batman: The Long Halloween, Part One, Batman: The Long Halloween, Part Two, Legion of Super-Heroes, Justice League: Warworld, Justice League, Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part One, and Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part Two.

8 Walker (Jared Padalecki)

Cordell Walker

Jared Padalecki was lucky enough to maintain his relationship with the CW after the ending of Supernatural. He starred as the eponymous Cordell Walker in the series Walker, which follows the story of a widowed father who returns to Austin and attempts to uncover the mysterious secrets that may be behind his wife’s death. In addition to Padalecki, Walker features a leading cast including Molly Hagan, Keegan Allen, Violet Brinson, Kale Culley, Coby Bell, Jeff Pierre, and Mitch Pileggi.

Walker was seen as Padalecki’s comeback show for fans of the actor, acting as a Western-genre replacement for Sam Winchester. Disappointing copious audiences, however, was the fact that Walker ended up being canceled after season 4. The final episode of Walker aired on June 26 to largely positive reviews. Nonetheless, the fact that CW put an end, at least for right now, to their multi-decade relationship with Padalecki was a massive blow to both the actor and the significant following that he had amassed.

7 The Boys Season 3 (Jensen Ackles)

Soldier Boy

Teaming up with Supernatural creator Eric Kripke once again, Ackles debuted as Soldier Boy in the second episode of The Boys season 3. Soldier Boy is one of the primary villains of the season, who has a history of betraying his team to get his personal gains. Part way through season 3, it is also revealed that Solider Boy is the father of The Boys lead character Homelander, in a shocking twist to the season.

Eric Kripke has teased a potential appearance by Jared Padalecki in The Boys.

Soldier Boy is seemingly killed off at the end of The Boys season 3, which theoretically would mark the end of Ackles’ tenure on the series. A recent post featuring Ackles, however, showed the actor wearing a hat with a logo for The Boys season 4 on it. While this image could merely show the actor’s of Kripke’s series, this appearance has prompted rumors that Ackles could emerge in The Boys season 4. With just two episodes left to go in the season, Soldier Boy’s appearance seems less likely, but anything is possible in this raucous current season.

6 Walker: Independence (Jared Padalecki)

Man with No Name

The majority of Padalecki’s post-Supernatural career has been focused on his role in Walker. This is part of what made it so devastating that Walker season 5 was called off, for the show was the main vehicle by which Padalecki fans could see him perform. Showing his dedication to the Walker IP, Padalecki appears in a cameo in Walker: Independence season 1, episode 12, “How We Got Here.” His role was credited as Man with No Name.

Padalecki only appeared this one time in the prequel series Walker: Independence. The spinoff was canceled after only a single, 13-episode season, despite largely positive reviews. The cancelation of Walker: Independence is another disappointing outcome for the Walker franchise. With Walker canceled after season 4, Padalecki will not have the opportunity for another cameo in Walker: Independence, nor will he get to continue Cordell Walker’s story.

5 Big Sky (Jensen Ackles)

Sheriff Beau Arlen

Amidst contributing his vocal talents to Batman, Ackles made an appearance on the Hulu crime show Big Sky as Sheriff Beau Arlen. Starring Katheryn Winnick, Kylie Bunbury, Dedee Pfeiffer, and J. Anthony Pena, Big Sky is a suspenseful series that chronicles the pairing of a PI and an ex-cop who try to solve crimes in Montana. Ackles’ character is first introduced in the Big Sky season 2 finale, and then becomes a series regular for Big Sky season 3.

Unfortunately for Ackles, Big Sky fell victim to a similar fate as Padalecki’s post-Supernatural shows. That is, Big Sky was canceled by ABC after season 3. At the time of the May 2023 announcement, it was unclear whether Big Sky would then be picked up for a fourth season by A+E Studios. As of now, no renewal of Big Sky season 4 has been announced by another network, making the future chances look slim for Ackles’ series.

4 The Winchesters (Jensen Ackles)

Dean Winchester

Even after 15 seasons of Supernatural, audiences were hungry for more. This resulted in the creation of the spinoff series The Winchesters. Ackles was one of the stars of The Winchesters, reprising his role as Dean. The series is told from Dean’s perspective, even though the overall plot focuses on Dean and Sam’s parents, John and Mary Winchester.

Despite the of the Supernatural fanbase, The Winchesters could not quite get off the ground and was resultantly cancelled after just one season. Since the ending of The Winchesters in 2023, Kripke, Ackles, and Padalecki have floated ideas of a Supernatural reboot. Kripke has said that he would be willing to continue with the franchise should someone come up with a great idea for the series. With Padalecki at minimum having a more open schedule after Walker ending, a Supernatural reboot is more likely than ever.

3 Buddy Games: Spring Awakening (Jensen Ackles)

Jack Durty

Though Ackles’ career is mostly known for television, the actor had a foray into film acting after the ending of Supernatural. In 2023, he teamed up with Batman: The Long Halloween co-star Duhamel to play a role in Duhamel’s own project, Buddy Games: Spring Awakening. The movie is a sequel to the 2019 Duhamel-directed film Buddy Games, which sees a group of friends get together to engage in absurd physical challenges.

The crew is back together for Buddy Games: Spring Awakening, whose cast is led by Duhamel, Dan Bakkedahl, Kevin Dillon, Nick Swardson, and James Roday Rodriguez. Like the first movie, Buddy Games: Spring Awakening was panned by critics, as it received a Rotten Tomatoes score of 33%. Buddy Games: Spring Awakening received only a limited release, and was largely overlooked due to its abysmal reviews.

2 Gen V Season 1 (Jensen Ackles)

Solider Boy

Unlike the slew of canceled shows from both Ackles and Padalecki, The Boys was wildly successful. Not only was it renewed for season 4, but the series also spawned the spinoff series Gen V. Gen V is a Prime Video show that has largely distinct characters from The Boys, featuring the first generation of superheroes to be aware that their powers arise from Compound V. The leading cast includes Jaz Sinclair as Marei Moreau, Lizzie Broadway as Emma Meyer, Maddie Phillips as Cate Dunlap, London Thor as Jordan Li, and Asa Germann as Sam Riordan.

Connecting Gen V with The Boys, Ackles briefly appears in Gen V, season 1, episode 6, “Jumanji.” His cameo occurs when Cate and her crew meet Soldier Boy in a version of the character imagined by Cate. With Gen V season 4 confirmed by Prime Video, it is possible that Ackles could appear again in either that show or the remaining two seasons of The Boys.

1 Tracker Season 1 (Jensen Ackles)

Russell Shaw

Ackles continued his trend of one-off TV appearances when he played a role in season 1 of the Paramount+ series Tracker. In Tracker season 1, episode 12, “Off the Books,” Colter s forces with his estranged brother, Russell, with whom he works to track down his old army buddy who has disappeared. Ackles plays Russell Shaw in this episode. Russell and Colter have a fraught history, as Russell found their father dead but vehemently denies accusations that he killed the father.

Russell Shaw only appears in “Off the Books” and does not come back for the Tracker season 1 finale. With Tracker season 2 confirmed, however, it is possible that Ackles could come back to appear in the Paramount+ series again. Either way, it seems like Ackles has a plenty-packed schedule between The Boys, his Batman appearances, and the possibility of a Supernatural reboot.