The cancellation of The Winchesters marked the end of the Supernatural franchise (so far). Even though the series is done, the legacy of the Winchesters is still strong. Now, creator Eric Kripke is reflecting on the cult franchise and the dedicated fandom, and his comments are really notable — and not just because he throws out a “shit” or two.
Kripke not only created Supernatural, but he served as showrunner for the first five seasons. (That’s how long the show was initially anticipated to run as well.) Of course, the CW series ended up running for an additional 10, and as a fan, it’s something that is still hard to believe. Due to his involvement, during a Supernatural-themed picket at Warner Bros. Studio that brought out fans, writers, and actors alike, Kripke spoke to Deadline about the strike, the reunion, and everything SPN.
When asked about how he felt about the franchise ending for now with the end of The Winchesters, The Boys creator reflected on the shows and how he is blown away by the reception, mentioning how it couldn’t have been “predicted.”
It was strange, because no matter what happened in my career, I always had the safety net of like, ‘Well, if I really shit the bed, I’ve still got Supernatural residuals, and I’m still getting the royalties because they’re [still] making it’ — same with The Winchesters. I even had a moment when it was all finally off, I’m like, ‘Oh shit. I better make sure I don’t screw up now. I don’t have this backup plan.’ My only wildest dream was to go five years on that show. I couldn’t have predicted this and what it became.
After the original series ended in 2020 after fifteen seasons, it was unknown if the Winchesters would ever come back in some way. Then came the announcement of the prequel that Jensen Ackles would be working on. The series took fans on a journey involving Mary Campbell and John Winchester in a different universe as they fought demons and supernatural creatures.
It didn’t last nearly as long as Supernatural, marking how special the original series really was. Not only was it on a network that doesn’t get nearly as many views as the big ones, but it’s also, of course, a supernatural drama, which tend to get axed seasons before its procedural predecessors do.
The fact that it is still loved today and that, even after two years, a spin-off happened, shows the SPN Family will never get tired of the Winchesters. (The demons and ghosts probably help.) But it could never have happened without the fans, as Kripke also made very clear.
I’m just totally humbled by the whole situation and just amazed, proud, but like never in my wildest dreams did I think that that show was gonna go 15 years and that it was going to connect to this many people. I don’t have good words for that. That blows me away.
This isn’t the first time the show creator nodded at the dedicated fans. In June, Kripke shared a sweet message for the Supernatural fans he met while on the picket line for a The Boys-themed picket during the WGA writers’ strike. He mentioned he met many fans of the CW series who told them how the show “got them through tough times.” Kripke also wanted them to know “how much that meant” to him.
At its core, Supernatural is about family, which to me is a really a big reason why the show worked. Bonds were built and the SPN family will always be connected. Even years from now, it’s likely Kripke will continue to have fans come up to him to tell him how much the series means to them. And who knows, maybe that will mean more for the Winchesters in the future too?
It is sad that the Supernatural franchise is over, especially since The Winchesters was just getting off the ground. Things didn’t look good for a while, though, after The CW opted out of giving the series a backorder. It stuck with just 13 episodes for the first season. Luckily, the finale did reveal just what Dean was doing, and fans did get to see a few more Supernatural faces pop up on The Winchesters, which was nice.
Maybe this won’t be the end of the SPN franchise. For now, all 15 seasons of Supernatural are available with a Netflix subscription. The first and only season of The Winchesters is available with a Max subscription.