The Winchesters Trailer: Dean Winchester Embarks On A New Career As A Narrator

Saving people, hunting things — just because "Supernatural" came to a close in 2020, doesn't mean the family business ended with it. The family of hunters is delving back into their past with a prequel series from The CW that follows young Mary Campbell and John Winchester, the future parents of Sam and Dean. 

"The Winchesters" takes place long before the birth of the original series' heroes, and explores the love story that made their 15-seasons worth of adventures possible. Here are some story details, per the official synopsis:

Mary is 19 years old and has been fighting the forces of darkness since she was a child. After losing someone close to her, the hardened hunter considers quitting the family business — until her father's disappearance and the arrival of newcomer John forces her to lead a new team. John has recently returned from Vietnam. Selfless and clear-headed, he finds a new mission back home, where traces of his father's past lead him to a secret organization and a whole new war as a hunter.

When the series was first conceived and announced, fans were delighted to learn that Jensen Ackles would return as the voice of Dean Winchester, narrating the series. Despite the fact that Ackles is also an executive producer, it was easy to imagine the show keeping Dean at arm's length away from the main story — but the first trailer for "The Winchesters" reveals that the story doesn't just take place in the past.

The Winchesters return

Dean Winchester has returned! There's a lot to unpack about this super-sized trailer, which delves into the first few episodes of "The Winchesters" and the journey that John and Mary will spend the season embarking on. But a special treat for fans is the sight of Dean leaning against the beloved family Impala and declaring: "Our parents' past has always been a mystery and there are questions left unanswered. But I'm on a new mission." Speaking of mysteries, when exactly does this part of the story take place? Did Dean manage to kick tetanus after all, or is he narrating from the middle of the "Supernatural" story?

As for John and Mary, time periods may change, but one thing remains the same about the Winchester family: missing fathers. The story of John and Mary kicks off with the duo on the hunt for their missing fathers, as John seeks to uncover his Men of Letters family history and Mary embraces life as a hunter. Except unlike Sam and Dean in the "Supernatural" pilot, they aren't the experienced hunters one might expect. John may be a newly returned war veteran, but he's a novice to the world of demons and monsters. And while Mary has a better handle on the supernatural than her future husband, they'll still need help to fend off the evils of the world. Luckily, they find a duo of hunters to team up with and together, they almost look like the Scooby gang — giant hippy van and all. Except, instead of unmasking common criminals they'll be slaying vampires and dousing demons with holy water.

"The Winchesters" is written by former "Supernatural" scribe Robbie Thompson, who also serves as executive producer alongside Jensen and Danneel Ackles. The series is expected to premiere in Fall 2022, though no official release date has been revealed.