The Supernatural legacy continues with The Winchesters. Starring Drake Rodger and Meg Donnelly as John Winchester and Mary Campbell, the first Supernatural spinoff is coming to The CW this fall. The series will tell the untold story of how Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam Winchester’s (Jared Padalecki) parents got together, and how they saved the world from forces hellbent on destroying it.
Joining Rodger (The In Between) and Donnelly (American Housewife) in The Winchesters cast are JoJo Fleites as Carlos Cervantez, Demetria McKinney as Ada Monroe, and Nida Khurshid as Latika Desai. Jensen Ackles also returns to narrate the series as Dean (and will serve as executive producer alongside his wife, Danneel Ackles).
Khurshid, Rodger, Donnelly, Fleites, McKinney, and Khurshid all spoke with TV Insider at The CW Upfront on May 19 in New York about their characters and what it’s like to be carrying on the Supernatural legacy.
For starters, all of them can’t believe the reins of the Supernatural universe are in their hands. Words they used to describe that feeling: “surreal,” “iconic,” “mind-blowing,” “no pressure whatsoever!” Existential questions they ask themselves every day now: “What is happening?” “What is life?” “Are you sure you want to trust me?” All understandable.
“It feels so surreal to be a part of the Supernatural universe,” says Donnelly, teasing Easter eggs from the original series in The Winchesters. “I’m really excited for fans of the Supernatural world to see what we’ve done with The Winchesters, the new twists that we have, all the Easter eggs we have. We really hope that we do them proud and I hope everyone’s really excited to see it.”
The Winchesters trailer alone has some exciting Supernatural connections for fans, like Dean and Baby driving off into the horizon and John looking for answers about his missing father. (Sounds familiar!) Rodger, a newcomer, says being part of this beloved world is an honor.
“Obviously, it’s such a huge fan base, but it’s a family. Genuinely, the fans are so sweet, and they’re so loyal. It’s an honor to be part of any project in general, but this one especially.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCL_vwl4XUw
Rodger (who truly looks like he could be Jensen Ackles and Padalecki’s real-life dad — casting nailed it on this one) and Donnelly then tease their take on John and Mary, sharing they studied up a bit on Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Matt Cohen, Samantha Smith, and Amy Gumenick‘s performances as “an outline of who you have to become.”
“All we have to do is figure out how to get there,” Rodger says. And he advises fans to hang tight while they figure that out.
“We’re starting, so this is young John and Mary. This is John pre-exposure to the whole Supernatural world, so it’s going to be a little different, but we’re going to get there. We’re gonna get to Jeffrey Dean Morgan,” Rodger says.
“I think it’s really fun to see the dynamic, because John and Mary are such different people,” adds Donnelly. “To see how they come together and work together and start this whole romantic journey is just really fascinating. I think fans are gonna love watching it.”
Fleites, McKinney, and Khurshid play brand new characters made for The Winchesters. And if the camaraderie between these three shows up at all on screen, fans are going to have a lot to love.
Fleites’ Carlos is a hunter along with Mary who’s “pretty much a natural,” the actor says. “He’s very skilled, is fearless in the face of danger, but also at the same time has a very soft side to him, is very chill, laid back. And overall, he’s a very good boost of confidence when they’re taking on their serious missions.”
McKinney’s Ada is a “very sassy, saucy, Lisa Bonet-esque auntie of the group,” the actor colorfully describes. “She is a rare book store owner, and she is very invested in the knowledge of the occult. So when they have that math to go do, go work out in the world getting rid of the demons and whatever other supernatural entities they come across, they come to me. I give them what they need.”
Khurshid’s Lakita is a librarian who’s just “a little slice of pie” who’s “involved in reading everything about the supernatural world” and is “a lot braver than she thinks.” Adds the star, “she’s a hunter-in-training, and we are gonna see her out with the elements pretty soon. But she has the help of these amazing people — and John and Mary — to really bring her out of her shell.”
The Winchesters also stars Bianca Kajlich as John’s mother, Millie, who’s trying to keep her son away from Mary’s dangerous world. But as Supernatural fans already well know, that’s easier said than done.
The Winchesters, Series Premiere, Fall 2022, The CW
