Jensen Ackles, best known for playing Dean Winchester in the long-running fantasy-horror series Supernatural, stars in the new Amazon Prime series Countdown. The show is one of two new titles Ackles will headline under his first-look deal with Amazon MGM Studios. His other new series is Vought Rising, a prequel to The Boys, in which he reprises his role as Soldier Boy.
Since Supernatural ended five years ago, audiences have been looking for a replacement (or a revival) show. While Countdown is more thriller than horror, there are some overlapping elements for Supernatural fans to enjoy.
Jensen Ackles Will Play LAPD Officer Mark Meachum
Countdown is helmed by Derek Haas from the prolific hit One Chicago franchise and was developed with Amazon for Jensen Ackles to star. The Amazon press release says:
“Countdown starts following a suspicious murder in broad daylight, which leads to LAPD officer Mark Meachum [Jensen Ackles] being recruited to join a secret task force of undercover agents from all branches of law enforcement to investigate. But as the truth of a more sinister plot comes into focus, the team must overcome their conflicting personal agendas to unite and save a city of millions.”
The thriller will launch with an impressive 13-episode season, uncharacteristic of the typical eight or ten-episode seasons that shows usually get. Jensen Ackles plays the lead character, Mark Meachum, and will star alongside Eric Dane, Jessica Camacho, Violett Beane, Uli Latukefu, and Elliot Knight.
Dane will play the leader of the secret ops team, FBI Special Agent Nathan Blythe. Blythe handpicked Meachum for the task force. Camacho plays DEA Special Agent Amber Oliveras—a tough, no-nonsense special agent used to working on her own. Other team members include the FBI rookie and tech-wizard Evan Shepherd, played by Violett Beane; LAPD veteran from Gangs and Narcotics Lucas Finau, played by Uli Latukefu; and Keyonte Bell from the FBI’s counter-terrorism unit, played by fellow The Boys alum Elliot Knight.
I had an incredible experience working with the Prime Video team on The Boys and am delighted to be able to continue that relationship on Countdown. I simply cannot wait to partner with Derek and the rest of our Countdown family to bring this story to life.
Countdown is currently in production with no official release date, but there is speculation the series will debut sometime in 2025. In a statement, Ackles expressed his enthusiasm for the project, saying, “I had an incredible experience working with the Prime Video team on The Boys and am delighted to be able to continue that relationship on Countdown. I simply cannot wait to partner with Derek and the rest of our Countdown family to bring this story to life.”
In November 2024, Jensen Ackles posted some behind-the-scenes photos from filming the series to his Instagram. The caption to the photo set reads, “Quick little update on set. We are well on our way here and having a blast.”
Bleeding Cool reported from Creation Entertainment’s The Road So Far, a touring fan convention for Supernatural, with a quote from Ackles about the upcoming series. Ackles shared:
“When I met Derek Haas, who created Countdown and has written all 13 scripts, I just clicked with him immediately… He and I actually grew up in the same town; we went to neighboring high schools, so we had a lot in common right off the bat. But he’s just a really great storyteller, and he comes from a long line of writing really kind of intense stuff. And so the character that he created, I just felt like I could tell that story in the world that he was also creating. That led to more meetings, and then that led to some outlines. I got to read the first script, and I just really liked where it was going. I liked the kind of world that he was setting it in, and I got excited about it.”
Countdown Could Be Considered a Supernatural Replacement
Jensen Ackles has stayed busy after Supernatural ended in 2020, mostly appearing in guest-starring or supporting roles. He also produced the Supernatural prequel spin-off, The Winchesters, with his wife, Daneel Ackles. The show told the love story between John and Mary and was narrated by Dean Winchester. Unlike his appearances on Big Sky, Tracker, or The Boys, Ackles will star in the action-packed drama Countdown. With Ackles playing a larger role in the series, fans will hopefully get to see the charismatic actor clocking a fair amount of screen time—more on par with Supernatural.
As LAPD officer Mitch Meachum, audiences will see Ackles flex his investigative skills once again—legally, this time. Playing a cop is nothing new for Ackles, as Dean and Sam Winchester impersonated all kinds of law enforcement individuals, from US Marshalls to Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Officers, and more commonly, FBI. Ackles’ role on Big Sky was as Sheriff of Montana’s capital city and saw him donning a badge and gun, as well, but his run on the show was short-lived.
Countdown’s press release doesn’t give away too many details, but the incredibly high stakes are clear, with the fate of Los Angeles hanging in the balance. With Jensen Ackles starring as the protagonist alongside a beautiful cast and investigating suspicious crimes that have far-reaching consequences, Countdown could be what Supernatural fans need—apart from a revival, anyway.
Ackles Will Also Headline The Boys Spin-Off Vought Rising
Since Supernatural, Ackles has probably gotten the most attention for playing Soldier Boy, the satirical version of Captain America in the black comedy series The Boys. Soldier Boy is the original superhero, becoming a super celebrity after fighting in World War II. He has appeared in eight episodes of the hit Amazon Prime series and is set to return for The Boys season five in 2026. Ackles will also be co-starring in the latest spin-off from The Boys franchise, Vought Rising.
It’ll be a lurid, pulp saga prequel set in New York City at the dawn of the 1950s about the humble yet diabolical beginnings of the Vought Corporation.
Vought Rising is described as “a twisted murder mystery about the origins of Vought in the 1950s, the early exploits of Soldier Boy, and the diabolical maneuvers of a Supe known to fans as Stormfront, who was then going by the name Clara Vought. We cannot wait to blow your minds and trouble your souls with this salacious, grisly saga drenched in blood and Compound V.”
Jensen Ackles will star in the prequel series with Aya Cash; both actors will serve as producers on the show as well. When Ackles made the announcement at last year’s Comic Con, he said, “It’ll be a lurid, pulp saga prequel set in New York City at the dawn of the 1950s about the humble yet diabolical beginnings of the Vought Corporation.”
While this is a lead role for Jensen Ackles, a notable difference between Vought Rising and Countdown is that one of season three’s main antagonists—Soldier Boy—isn’t a good guy. Vought Rising is still in the early stages of production, having only recently put its writers’ room together, as reported by Nexus Point News. They also announced that casting is underway and filming will begin in August of this year.
Kripke Promises Supernatural Reunion on The Boys
With numerous actors from Supernatural making appearances on The Boys, Kripke is hoping to finally land the one everyone has been waiting for: Jared Padalecki. Since the unfortunate cancelation of Padalecki’s series Walker, it’s become more likely that schedules will align to get him on The Boys. Kripke told Variety, “I feel like I have to complete my game of Supernatural Pokémon, and I have my one big one—very big one—left to catch.” The series creator has expressed an interest in getting Jared Padalecki on The Boys, even if it’s just for one episode.
Deadline reported Padalecki’s response to the invitation to join Amazon’s critically acclaimed show: “The answer is yes.” The actor went on to express how connected he and Eric Kripke are. “I mean, he created Supernatural. He created Sam Winchester. He created Ruby [Genevieve Padalecki], who I ended up marrying and starting a family with,” Padalecki said. “I adore him. I adore his humor. I adore him as a person, his storytelling. So I can’t wait. I don’t think [Season 5] films until next year, but I will be ready when he makes the phone call. I’ll just say ‘Okay, when am I flying out?’”
While a Supernatural revival might not be happening anytime soon, with Jensen Ackles coming back for the final season of The Boys, there’s a good chance that viewers may get to see the beloved actors share the small screen again next year.
Source: cbr.com