A new, fascinating variation of the Winchester brothers exists in Supernatural‘s multiverse, and season 16, if it ever happens, is ripe to explore that idea. Supernatural‘s ending finally arrived in 2020, bringing 15 seasons of monster mayhem to an end, but the franchise has taken after the Winchesters themselves by proving very hard to kill off. Although Supernatural spinoff series The Winchesters was canceled after one season, both Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki have remained open to the possibility of a Supernatural revival under the right conditions, and that means the story will surely continue sooner or later.

One concept that became more prominent in Supernatural‘s later seasons was the multiverse, as God crafted universe upon universe in his obsessive mission to make Sam and Dean kill each other. Consequently, Supernatural‘s multiverse is filled with alternate versions of the Winchester brothers. A handful of these parallel pairs were highlighted in the show itself, including the hipster-esque HunterCorp universe Winchesters, but, curiously, Supernatural has opened the door for one specific variation of Sam and Dean that will be altogether more significant to the show’s lore.

The Winchesters’ Universe Will Have A Totally New Sam & Dean Winchester

A New Variation On The Winchester Brothers Was Confirmed (But You Might’ve Missed It)

Before its untimely cancelation, The Winchesters set up wholly different incarnations of Sam and Dean – a detail that has gone largely overlooked. The Winchesters took place within an alternate universe where the titular family could live happily ever after, but history deviated further thanks to the franchise’s main Dean Winchester meddling with time. Aside from setting John and Mary up sooner, Dean also ensured his father discovered the paranormal long before his counterpart in Supernatural‘s original universe, where Azazel murdered Mary. For the cherry on top, Dean warned his parallel parents about Azazel and gave them Supernatural‘s Colt as a means of protection.

The realization that The Winchesters ‘ timeline will one day yield wildly different iterations of Sam and Dean gets somewhat buried.

In theory, the alterations made in The Winchesters‘ universe should mean Sam and Dean are still born, but grow up to be fundamentally different characters. The spinoff ended with John and Mary still very much together, leaving viewers to assume nature takes its course and, several years later, the Winchester brothers are born. On the other hand, their parents – Mary especially – seemed to be veering away from the hunter’s life. If John and Mary also put a Colt bullet through Azazel’s head, the Winchester children will experience a very different upbringing that creates totally altered versions of Sam and Dean.

For several reasons, this fact often gets overlooked. The Winchesters itself largely flew under-the-radar, as demonstrated by its cancelation, but confirmation of the spinoff being set within a parallel universe also came very late in the day. For most of The Winchesters‘ run, it wasn’t clear if the main universe timeline was being meddled with, or if John and Mary’s original Supernatural backstory had been a lie. As such, the realization that The Winchesters will one day yield wildly different iterations of Sam and Dean gets somewhat buried, despite being hugely significant.

What Will Happen To Sam & Dean Winchester In The Spinoff Universe

The Winchesters’ Timeline Changes Create Very Different Paths For Sam & Dean

Precisely how Sam and Dean turn out in The Winchesters‘ universe is a fascinating topic to ponder. The overall message of Mary and John’s ending in the spinoff is opting into the hunting lifestyle rather than being forced into it by some familial sense of duty. For that reason, The Winchesters‘ John and Mary will likely teach their children about the paranormal and show them the basics of fending off demons and other assorted nasties of the night, but then allow Sam and Dean to take their own paths in life.

Dean could quite easily settle down as a mechanic in The Winchesters ‘ universe, while Sam might feel more open to hunting.

One possibility, therefore, is that Dean, still idolizing his father in the spinoff universe, becomes a hunter, but Sam fulfills his dream of becoming a lawyer. Another option, however, is that Mary not being killed by Azazel pushes the Winchester brothers in entirely unexpected directions.

Although the main universe’s Dean Winchester felt immense loyalty and respect for his dad, those feelings mostly developed across years spent traveling the road, saving people and hunting things after Mary’s death. Similarly, Sam’s academic and career goals were partially an act of rebellion against his father’s dogmatic insistence that both of his boys become hunters. For those reasons, Dean could quite easily settle down as a mechanic in The Winchesters‘ universe, while Sam might feel more open to hunting if the paternal pressure isn’t there.

Whichever career paths they choose, the domestic presence of both Mary and John would surely lead to more stable, balanced, well-adjusted versions of Sam and Dean Winchester – a far cry from the damaged soldiers that Supernatural spent 15 seasons following. Mary and John’s solid Winchester family unit would also show Sam and Dean that they can also start families if they wish to – something only Sam did in Supernatural‘s prime universe, and only after the show concluded.

Every world shown previously in Supernatural depicted versions of Sam and Dean still as hunters, and still from worlds where Mary was killed by Azazel. If that pivotal event doesn’t happen, the brothers from The Winchesters‘ universe could feasibly turn into the most normal, everyday Sam and Dean the multiverse has to offer.

The Spinoff Universe’s Sam & Dean Winchester May Actually Be Better Hunters

If, for the sake of argument, Sam and Dean from The Winchesters‘ universe still become hunters by profession, there is a distinct possibility they would surpass the main show’s brothers for strength and skill. One of The Winchesters‘ biggest timeline changes involved John learning about his father’s role in the Men of Letters – something Sam and Dean didn’t discover until Supernatural season 8.

Sam and Dean merely picked up the art of hunting out in the field from their father, who was figuring things out on the fly after suddenly losing Mary. Had his sons grown up with the Men of Letters’ knowledge and resources since childhood and been taught all of those tricks, spells, and teachings, however, they would have become a far more formidable duo.

The Winchesters never fully explains where Carlos & Lata are in the main show.

The Winchesters‘ Sam and Dean get the best of both worlds. Mary, not needing to hide her past from John in this universe, can train her boys in the Campbell hunting method, while John would have years more experience to pass on, in addition to whatever the Men of Letters left behind. On top of that, Carlos and Lata would inevitably prove worthy role models for their two honorary nephews, schooling them in all manner of monster-killing lessons.

How & Why Supernatural Season 16 Can Introduce The Spinoff Universe’s Sam & Dean

Supernatural Season 16 Is The Perfect Way To Show The Winchesters’ Sam & Dean

If Supernatural season 16 eventually happens, the main Sam and Dean might find themselves desperate enough to seek help. Said help could arrive from The Winchesters‘ world in the form of the strongest Sam and Dean variants in the entire multiverse. The Winchesters‘ Monster Club already possesses some knowledge of how to cross worlds, and the notion of Winchesters from around the multiverse banding together against a larger enemy perfectly aligns with Hollywood’s current interdimensional team-up obsession.

A cameo from The Winchesters ‘ universe would also offer a sense of closure for audiences after the spinoff’s cancelation.

There is, however, a wholly less Marvel-esque reason to include The Winchesters‘ Sam and Dean in any future Supernatural season 16. While the spinoff allowed Jensen Ackles’ Dean to see a world where his parents are happy and alive, Sam never received the same sense of closure. Should the brothers reunite in any upcoming Supernatural project, Dean could potentially take Sam to The Winchesters‘ universe as a means of demonstrating that a happy ending is possible.

Beyond Sam, a cameo from The Winchesters‘ universe would also offer a sense of closure for audiences after the spinoff’s cancelation. Despite not quite ending a complete cliffhanger, The Winchesters was still cut short, leaving a handful of plot points unresolved. Revealing what the spinoff’s world looks like in the 2020s with Sam and Dean as adults and John and Mary as grandparents would represent a perfect ending to that particular chapter of Supernatural canon.