There’s no denying thatSupernaturalhas continually missed the mark when it comes to spin-offs. There have been severaldifferentSupernaturalspin-off attemptsbefore, though few of them made it past the initial development phase. Sadly, none of the show’s backdoor pilots ever worked — and the few spin-offs that actually made it, such asGhostfacers,Supernatural: The Anime Series, andThe Winchesters, were incredibly short-lived. But there’s one spin-off idea that could still happen, one that is disconnected enough from the Winchester saga that it could grow legs on its own, but also still associated with the original material that it would easily pull in an audience. If you too believe thatSupernaturaldeserves a Western prequel, then you’re in the right company.
A ‘Supernatural’ Prequel About Samuel Colt Is Long Overdue
“We say it’s a modern American Western,” series creatorEric Kripkeonce toldThe Appeal Democratin 2008 aboutSupernatural. “Two gunslingers who ride into town, fight the bad guys, kiss the girl, and ride out into the sunset again.” There’s certainly a strong case to be made for this, especially in the show’s earliest season, and the series eventually didtwo Western-inspired episodesover the course of its 15-year run. But there’s no doubt thatthe best spiritual successor to a horror show likeSupernaturalwould be to travel back to the Old West. After all, Sam and Dean’s weapon of choice, the mysterious Colt, traces its origins back to that time period — and there’s a lot more to unpack about the mysterious Samuel Colt and the world of American hunters thanSupernaturalever could, given its own limitations.
While we only ever saw Samuel Colt once on the show, played bySam Henningsin Season 6’s “Frontierland,” the character was based on the real historical figure of the same name. Colt was, infamously, a gunsmith, one who made the infamous Colt Peacemaker that remains popular today. But in the world ofSupernatural, he was proven to be an expert hunter, one who used his experience to craft a mystical gun that could kill nearly anything in the paranormal world, including demons. In “Frontierland,” Colt tells Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki) that he’s seen many incredibly strange things in his life, and it’s that tease that could easily expand into moreif those at Warner Bros. could see the potential in aSupernaturalprequel that doesn’t focus exclusively on Sam, Dean, or their family.
But perhaps most interestingly, aSupernaturalWestern prequel could explore many of the myths and legends that the show teased in its early years — and it could even answer fans' long-pondered questions. As one of the show’s most important set pieces, the Devil’s Gate in Wyoming (as seen inthe two-part “All Hell Breaks Loose” in Season 2) was notoriously constructed by Colt himself. He built five churches that were connected by railroad lines, which would be a simply fascinating story to tell. Indeed,a Colt-led prequel could connect directlyto the show’s earliest (and best) seasons, as the famed gunsmith comes across the Yellow-Eyed Demon’s plot to break Lucifer free from his cage and start the Apocalypse. Of course, the show wouldn’t have to follow Colt exclusively.It could always go in a different direction that includes the character without focusing entirely on him. But either way, there’s no doubt that a horror-based “Weird Western” prequel would certainly draw in an audience, especially if it tied back to so much of the show’s early material.
20 Years After Its Debut, ‘Supernatural’ Is Still Setting Viewership Records
Carry on my wayward son.
Eric Kripke Wanted To Explore ‘Supernatural’s Western Themes With an Old West Prequel
During the first few years thatSupernaturalwas on the air, fans often pestered Eric Kripke for more information about the Colt gun. In fact, this was such a common occurrence, the filmmaker toldStarPulseback in 2008, thatit eventually led him to come up with ideas for a Samuel Colt prequel spin-off. “I considerSupernaturala kind of modern-day Western,” Kripke told the outlet. “So it’d be cool to go all the way with it, and make an actual horror western.” Indeed, he revealed that there were plenty of different directions that an Old WestSupernaturalshow could go. “When the writers and I are procrastinating in the room, we sometimes discuss a possibleSupernaturalspin-off,” the filmmaker added. “A prequel that relates the adventures of Samuel Colt and the band of hunters who roamed the Old West.” Sadly, talk was all that really came out of it.
Still, there’s no reason that a show like this couldn’t work now.Weird Westerns may be somewhat niche, but they always seem to be successful. There are plenty of modern examples that aSupernaturalWestern could pull from for inspiration, including shows likeShowtime’sDead Man’s Gun,Prime Video’sOuter Range, and the highly-popularWynonna Earp. With rumblings of aSupernaturalreunion always keeping fans’ hopes high,maybe this is the show that could spark new interest in the franchise until Sam and Dean are ready to return. Who knows, it may even be able to fix a few plot holes and answer some questions left by the original show.
Supernaturalis available for streaming on Netflix.
Supernatural
