While fans of Sam and Dean Winchester's parents, Mary Campbell and John Winchester, played by Meg Donnelly and Drake Rodger. The prequel series will explore how they met and how they began hunting monsters, demons, and other supernatural beings before ing that lifestyle on to their sons.
The Winchesters takes place in the '70s, with John returning from the Vietnam War determined to look into his father's past. His search leads him to uncover a secret organization. Mary is the original monster hunter of the two, as she's been taking down supernatural creatures since childhood. After losing someone close to her, she is determined to get out of the business. But her father's disappearance leads her to meeting John and leading a new team of hunters with her future husband at her side.
Considering that Supernatural season 1 begins in 2005, it's no surprise that there hasn't been much news about actors from its fifteen seasons showing up in The Winchesters. That said, one actor is returning: Jensen Ackles, who plays Dean Winchester in Supernatural. It's not clear if he'll actually be making an on-camera appearance, however. Dean narrates the story of his parents in The Winchesters, with the framing of their oldest son trying to learn more about his past.
What About Jared? Can Other Supernatural Actors Return In The Winchesters?
As of now, there's no indication that any other actors—including Jared Padalecki's Sam Winchester—will appear in The Winchesters. While it would make sense for Jared to his brother in sifting through their parents' lives, he hasn't been officially attached to the project. Despite being primarily in a narration role, Jensen Ackles' presence will likely be felt heavily throughout the series. He and his wife, Danneel Ackles (who also had a brief guest role in Supernatural), are producing the show via their company Chaos Machine Productions.
Drake Rodgers, who plays John Winchester, told TV Line (via YouTube) that Jensen Ackles has "genuinely been like an older brother. He's been a mentor and he's really guided me in production, on camera and off camera. He's been fundamental in this entire process." His co-star Meg Donnelly echoed that sentiment: Ackles "was on set every single day of the pilot...giving us notes, telling us [things] about the universe that we may not know."
But all hope isn't lost for those who really want to see more characters from Supernatural return. Jensen Ackles hasn't ruled out such possibilities for The Winchesters. He said, "The great thing about this world is that nothing is off the table. We have ways of bringing back fan-favorite characters and the actors that played them. We also have ways of bringing back younger versions of those characters."
The Winchesters premieres October 11, 2022 on The CW.