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Although Supernatural has been off the air for some time now, the buzz for the dark fantasy/horror series has never quite died down. Revisiting the adventures of Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) is a daily ritual for some, and others continue to discover the series for the very first time. It helps that the fandom itself has kept the show alive and thriving through online communities, fan gatherings, and annual conventions that harken back to that “saving people, hunting things” mantra. Ahead of Creation Toronto 2026, we had the pleasure of speaking with Rob Benedict, who brought Chuck Shurley to life across several seasons of The CW series, about his involvement with the Supernatural fandom and his hopes for the Winchesters’ future.
In addition to his God-sized role on the show, Benedict is also the co-host of the Supernatural Then and Now podcast and the frontman of the LA-based indie rock band Louden Swain, which performs on Saturday nights during the Creation event. We spoke about everything from how he learned that Chuck was meant to be God to his aspirations for the character post-Season 15. So, without further ado, here is what Rob Benedict has to say about how Supernatural changed his life…
How Rob Benedict Became the Face of ‘Supernatural’ Fandom
COLLIDER: Supernatural has always had a devoted fanbase, one that’s only grown over the years. Can you tell me a little bit about how you were ushered into the fandom, and how you and Richard Speight Jr. [who played Gabriel/Trickster] sort of became the face of the convention circuit?
ROB BENEDICT: Yeah, it’s been a long sort of path to where it’s gotten to. I was first introduced… 2009, I think, was my first convention. And what’s odd about it is that I had just filmed an episode of the show that was the “convention episode,” where there was a mock convention…
“The Real Ghostbusters.”
BENEDICT: Exactly! So, I had just filmed that, and it aired, and the next day I went to my first convention. It was so weird for me. It was like, “Oh my God, this is like… What’s real? What’s scripted?” And so, that’s where my journey began with the conventions, and I started to do more and more every year. Then my band got incorporated, and we would do a few gigs… And then at one point, they asked Richard to host, and he said he would only do it if he could bring me and the band and do the concept kind of like The Tonight Show. I would be his Ed McMahon-meets-“Doc” [Severinsen], the leader of the band. So, that’s what we did, and it worked. We kind of kept doing that, and it morphed some more, and now Rich and I co-host with my band being the “house band” all weekend.
It’s cool because this specific thing that we do, this Supernatural convention that Creation Entertainment puts on, is more than just a Comic Con. We actually host it; we’ve got this band. It feels more like a “traveling road show.” We’ve really worked hard to turn it into what it is today. You know, I always feel like the circus comes to town, and we bring with it all these other extra activities and events that go on during the weekend.
I know a lot of the Supernatural cast are pretty musically inclined as well. How did you guys all figure out that was your niche?
BENEDICT: Yeah, it was sort of by happenstance. The idea was put forward that the band would do what’s become the “Saturday Night Special,” which we kind of envisioned it like the “last waltz” with the band. We would play our gig, but then we’d have interstitials where the actors would come join. Because, at the end of the day, it’s still a Supernatural convention, it’s not a Louden Swain show. But we’d combine both. We knew we had a couple of singers, but not as many as there are. Almost nearly everyone in the cast is not only a singer, but a really good singer, and a good performer. And some people have tried it out through the years; it’s not their forte, but it’s still fun to have them on stage to try it out, you know? So, at first it was like, “Maybe we’ll have a couple of actors come up.” And then we had this embarrassment of riches where we had so many actors who could do it. So, it’s great because the actors alternate, but we always have a few people we can throw up on the roster to pepper the set.
How Rob Benedict Learned That Chuck Was Meant To Be God on ‘Supernatural’
When you first appeared in Season 4’s “The Monster at the End of This Book,” I’m sure you had no idea how big this show was going to be. Back then, Chuck was only billed as a prophet. What was it like for you to find out that he was supposed to be God? Did you have any inkling that it could at all have been a possibility, or that Supernatural would run as long as it did?
BENEDICT: No, man. It’s so weird because my first episode was just a one-off. It was one guest star, and I’d be done. And at the end of the script, it said, “To be continued…” At first, I was like, “Does this mean?…” Then I found out that every script of Supernatural ends with “To be continued…” I remember Twitter was just starting out, and Misha Collins told me that it’s fun to watch Twitter after your episode airs, and you can see what people think of you. That was a new concept for me. So, I remember that was sort of like, “Will people like me?” They seemed to like the character, and then a few episodes later, they invited me back to do another one. I was like, “That’s cool.” Then again and again.
Towards the end of Season 5, really that last episode of Season 5, “Swan Song,” that’s where Chuck kind of started to change a little bit and become this sort of omniscient person. I’m kind of narrating the show at that point, in that episode, and I disappear at the end. I wasn’t quite sure what it meant when I first read the script, and then Eric Kripke called me and was like, “So, you’re God.” This is at the end of Season 5, right? And I was like, “Wow, that’s amazing,” and he was like, “Yeah, but I can’t have you back on the show really, because you can’t have God come save the day all the time.” And I was like, “Oh, that’s depressing.” [Laughs] It was like the best and worst phone call. But he’s like, “Keep it secret, I don’t want anyone to know. I want the fans to figure it out on their own.” So, I did. I kept the secret. I was doing the conventions a lot, and I wasn’t on the show from Season 6 through Season 9.
And I kept the secret, and kind of would go, “You know, I don’t know…” And, you know, no one thought that the show would be going for that much longer, but it kept going and going. Then, the story came back to a place where it made sense to bring God back, and then they brought me back. I had this whole run during the last five seasons, and it was awesome, man. It was one of those things where this guest star — who was a one-off guest star — had become such a major part of my life. Doing the conventions and coming back on the show in a relevant way. Working with my friends at this point, because we travelled the world together. So, it’s been wild, man. It’s been a wild ride. If you had told me in 2005 (or 2007 or 2008, when I did my first episode) that I still would be talking about it — or living it — today, I never would’ve believed you. So, it’s pretty great. Or here in Paris, France, I’m here because of a convention, you know? So, it’s been crazy. It’s been such a crazy phenomenon, and I’m so proud to be a part of it.
Rob Benedict Shares His Favorite ‘Supernatural’ Episodes — So Far
You know, when it was first announced that you and Richard Speight Jr. were tackling a rewatch podcast, I was immediately on board. I was so excited. In your first full viewing of the series — and you’re still going through it — is there an episode that has stood out to you thus far as your unexpected favorite, or is there one (maybe besides “Bugs”) that you couldn’t stand?
BENEDICT: You know, we didn’t hate “Bugs” as much as we thought we were going to. I knew about “Bugs” since I did my first episode, because my character mentions it. My character is like, “Oh, I’m so sorry about ‘Bugs.'” [Laughs] So, I didn’t hate it as much as I thought I would.
I kind of like “Bugs.”
BENEDICT: Yeah, it’s fun.
It’s not bad. It’s not great.
BENEDICT: No, and I also thought… I expected to maybe not love the first few seasons when it was “monster-of-the-week,” but I loved it. I love the first few seasons. I love that “monster-of-the-week” stuff. I knew I was going to like [Season 6’s] “The French Mistake.” Truly, that’s one of the best episodes of TV, flat-out, I think. Like, the things that they do in that episode Ben Edlund wrote are just really genius. But there’s just a lot that I didn’t know about… Jim Beaver‘s character Bobby Singer has an episode where he’s sort of going through his life…
“Weekend at Bobby’s.”
BENEDICT: Yes, exactly! That’s a great episode. I wasn’t ready for that one. The character of Abaddon. I wasn’t aware of how much Alaina Huffman did. That’s such a cool character. Obviously, the introduction of Castiel [in Season 4’s “Lazarus Rising”] was awesome. I don’t think I had really sat down to watch that episode yet, so that was really cool to see. Right now we’re on Season 9, and I’m really enjoying Season 9. I really feel like they’ve hit a cool stride. It’s crazy to think that we’ve got six more seasons to go. [Laughs] But yeah, I’d say that “Weekend at Bobby’s” stood out as one that I just wasn’t aware of at all, and “The French Mistake” is truly everything that everyone says it is.
Yeah, it’s a fabulous episode of television.
BENEDICT: Truly.
It’s also, I bet, so cool as somebody who knows so much about the behind-the-scenes, having been on the show. I’m sure for you, it’s like, “That’s a reference, that’s a nod, I love that.”
BENEDICT: Oh, yeah. And a lot of our crew are in the episode. We had Ben Edlund on to talk about it, and he pointed something out that I didn’t think about — just the meta quality of that episode — that when they get back into the “real world,” which is the scripted world of Supernatural, Jared’s like, “Ah, home, sweet home,” and he pats the wall. But that wall, we all know, is a set wall. It’s not a real wall. [Laughs] So, it’s this weird “what’s real, what’s fake,” you know?
Those early seasons, though, to your point, are some of my favorites too. I love the “monster-of-the-week” stuff. It really does feel like a horror movie on TV every week, and it’s great. Nothing like it.
BENEDICT: Yeah, I remember the “Scarecrow” one was one where I was like, “Oh, that’s really spooky.” It was really spooky, it got me. You know, [Dean] climbs up, and he looks at the scarecrow in the eye, and you’re going, “Oooh.” You know, it’s fun. And Sam and Dean are superheroes, you know?
They’re Western characters.
BENEDICT: They are! Completely. And “Baby” is their special horse.
Rob Benedict Thinks There’s More to Chuck’s ‘Supernatural’ Story Post-Season 15
As a fan yourself, if Supernatural were to return for another season — and a lot of people want it to — what would you like to see Sam and Dean deal with next? Do you think there’s any world where Chuck could return?
BENEDICT: You know, the fans have this theory — and not all of them — but some of the fans have this theory that I think is kind of cool, which is that Chuck is still writing the world. He’s still God, in charge. And, in Season 11 [seen in “Don’t Call Me Shurley”], Chuck was like, “Ah, I’ve got my ending.” What if there was a world where the way that it ended, including Jack (Alexander Calvert) defeating Chuck and “taking over” as God, was still in his plan? But above all of that, he’s still watching, and it’s “as it is written.” I think that’s kind of cool. So, I think there’s a world where, maybe… You know, what happens is that Jack takes over, and Jack’s a hands-off, “laissez-faire” god, and because of that, Dean dies in just a normal vampire hunt. Chuck’s not there to pick them out and make them safe because he loves those characters and kept them going for so many years.
So, that’s part of the plan; that was part of Chuck’s plan, maybe. If that’s true, then Chuck’s still writing, and perhaps he’s still, underneath it all, still a benevolent God. You know, I would love to have some justice for Chuck, and have Chuck come around and possibly not be such an asshole. Truly, in that last season, I was the bad guy. People were pissed, and they tell me about it.
[Raises hand.]
BENEDICT: Yeah, yeah. You get… You’re mad… And it’s funny because, like, why don’t people get as mad at Mark Pellegrino [who played Lucifer] and Mark Sheppard [who played the demon Crowley] and some of those bad guys, and I think it’s something about it being God. You know, God, the concept of God, is something that people rely on. So, it’s like, when God lets you down and destroys everything that you love, then yeah, you’re pissed about it. So, I would love to get some reconciliation and some clarity on why he did that, and maybe it was still part of his plan. There’s a reason he did all that. I would love for that to maybe be the impetus for Season 16 and getting it started again.
I’m on board. Let’s go, let’s get it done. Who do we have to call?
BENEDICT: [Laughs] I know, there’s got to be somebody… Somebody who can do it…
We at Collider love the show, and we hope to see it back at some point.
BENEDICT: Thank you so much. God willing, we’ll be able to do another season or a movie at some point. The fact is, we’re all still doing the conventions. It’s not like the conventions are just a couple of the “B players.” It’s Jensen and Jared — I went out with Jensen last night. We’re all still real tight. We love each other, so I could see something happening.
Supernatural is available for streaming on Prime Video.
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https://collider.com/supernatural-rob-benedict-chuck-interview-creation-toronto-2026/
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