Drake Rodger, who plays young John Winchester in the Supernatural prequel The Winchesters, says a future season 2 could feature a much darker John.
Drake Rodger, who plays young John Winchester in The CW’s The Winchesters, shares his hopes for the future of the franchise. A prequel series to Supernatural, The Winchesters premiered in October 2022, with the finale episode airing in March. To date, the series has neither been renewed nor canceled, though viewers have taken to social media to campaign for a season 2.
In an interview with Nerds & Beyond, Rodger says that not only is he eager to make another season of The Winchesters, but he’d like to see the series take a darker turn. Rodger recalls meeting with showrunner Robbie Thompson and pitching ideas for future seasons, which could include seeing the harsher, darker side of John Winchester. While Rodger would like to see the prequel series continue for many more seasons, he admits that it’s up to the networks as to the Supernatural franchise’s fate. Read Rodger’s full comment below:
I want to delve into the God of War aspect of John. Robbie, and I talk a lot of like, the darkness has always been inside of him. And we really, really want to play with that. I actually met with Robbie a week ago, we were pitching around some ideas. So really, really, really excited. I think the next couple seasons are gonna be something for sure. It’s gonna be dark, I think. I’m very, very excited to see what we’re able to do. And it really all just depends on where we land on network wise.
What the Future of The Winchesters Could Look Like
Rodger isn’t the first member of The Winchesters’ team to comment on a potential season 2, with Thompson openly stating that he has stories already created for further episodes of the series. However, the CW is currently undergoing massive restructuring and cutbacks to its original programming, with only three series expected to be renewed for the 2023-2024 television season. All American was announced to be renewed for season 6, and many much-loved CW series are vying for those other two open slots.
Since The Winchesters first premiered, longtime Supernatural viewers were quick to point out how differently Rodger’s portrayal of John was in comparison to Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s in Supernatural. Whereas Rodger’s John was a much more lovable interpretation, Morgan’s original character was harsher, cruel, and demanding of his children. However, with Rodger expressing his interest in focusing on the “darkness” inside of John, the two versions of John Winchester could become more closely linked.
With The Winchesters finale episode revealing its timeline will diverge from Supernatural, there is an entirely new world of stories for the spinoff to tell, without having to worry about stepping on Supernatural’s lore. Thompson has expressed interest in even taking The Winchesters to another network if The CW chooses not to renew the show, meaning that even if a cancelation does come, it may not be the end of the Supernatural franchise forever. With Rodger already planning seasons ahead, hopes are high for The Winchesters to create a legacy of its own.
