Jensen Ackles And Jared Padalecki Reveal How ‘Supernatural’ Should End If They Had Their Way

Few shows the enjoy the same kind of longevity as CW’s Supernatural, starring Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki. With such a strong fan base, it seems possible that the series could go on indefinitely. Even though Dean and Sam are prepping to bring down the biggest foe they’ve ever faced in Season 11, Supernatural has been renewed for a 12th season, and there are rumors that Season 13 is planned as well, according to Movie Web.

But even Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki know the show has to end eventually. With so many possible fates awaiting their characters, it makes sense that the actors would have a preferred way to resolve the story. Both Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles spoke to Entertainment Weekly about how they’d want Supernatural to end if it were up to them. Surprisingly, neither of them opted for the Winchester boys to have a peaceful retirement from monster hunting.

One of the things that makes Supernatural so compelling is the ability of Sam and Dean to overcome impossible odds. During the interview, Jensen Ackles touched on the many deadly forces that could have spelled doom for the Supernatural heroes, any number of which could potentially return to deliver a tragic ending to the series.

“If you’d asked me season 1, I would’ve thought that it would’ve been the apocalypse,” Jensen Ackles said. “But then again, you can’t end the TV show with the worst thing happening. As we’ve evolved, I think that there’s different roads that the show could certainly go down that would be interesting.”

Jared Padalecki also noted that Supernatural has shown the Winchesters triumphing over some of the most powerful supernatural forces in the universe, including Lucifer and Death himself. Because of these incredible feats of bravery, Padalecki believes the Supernatural characters will honorably earn whatever fate befalls them. But he also expressed interest in an ambiguous ending like the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

“[I] always thought it’d be great to see the boys against insurmountable odds and to freeze-frame on them and just hear stuff in the background,” Jared Padalecki explained. “You don’t know if they die, you don’t know if they live, but you know that they’re going to go out in a blaze of glory… I don’t think we should see the boys die or live, we should wonder.”

While Supernatural fans may be furious with an open-ended finale like the one Jared Padalecki wants, they’ve dealt with numerous cliffhangers in the past, so they’re probably used to the lack of closure.

Jensen Ackles had a more concrete preference for Supernatural’s conclusion, which would involve Dean Winchester sacrificing himself so that his brother Sam can go on living. This has actually happened in several past episodes of Supernatural, and when it did, Sam was unable to live a normal life without Dean. So despite the finality of Jensen Ackles’ preferred ending, it may not feel like much of a resolution to hardcore Supernatural fans.

“It’s either going to end tragic or it’s going to end not tragic, and I can kind of make an argument for both. I don’t really know where it’s going to go. I always thought Dean would make the ultimate sacrifice for his brother. I guess if I had to choose something, that’s probably what I would choose.”

Jared Padalecki had a second idea for how Supernatural might end, which is more in line with what the show has done in the past. Up to this point, as long as one of the Winchesters is alive, the story isn’t over. The surviving brother will either continue to hunt demons and monsters or do everything in his power to revive the other brother. That stubborn tenacity has become a consistent story thread throughout Supernatural.

“The boys can’t stop fighting. As long as they’re alive, they’re not going to stop fighting. We’re going to have to see them continue to do good together. I think that’s what’s the most important part.”

How do you think Supernatural will end? Do you agree with Jensen Ackles or Jared Padalecki?

[Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images]