Supernatural actor, Jensen Ackles, has confirmed that he'll be directing an episode of season 15, with pre-production now officially underway. Ackles has portrayed Dean Winchester on Supernatural since the series began back in 2005 and after 15 seasons of saving people and hunting things, is set to hang up his silver bullets after one final run in the Impala. Earlier this year, the central Supernatural trio of Ackles, Jared Padalecki and Misha Collins (Dean, Sam and Castiel, respectively) announced in an emotional video that the time had come for Supernatural to end.

With a rabid fan following eagerly anticipating the conclusion to the Winchesters' story, there's a certain amount of pressure on Supernatural season 15 to deliver the most high stakes, dramatic season yet and, given what viewers currently know about the show's direction, it seems like Ackles and co. will deliver just that. Supernatural's season 14 finale ended on a huge cliffhanger, as the Winchesters discovered they were being played by none other than God, Chuck Shurley. After confronting the Lord face-to-face, Sam and Dean ended up provoking the creator of all things into resurrecting the collected spirits of hell back onto Earth.

Related: Supernatural: The Difference Between God And The Old Gods

The CW have set a date of October 10th for the Supernatural season 15 premiere and star, Jensen Ackles, has now confirmed pre-production is in progress. The actor also reveals that he'll be doubling up as a director for the forthcoming season and an Instagram post shows Ackles in full, brooding, location-scouting mode.

While Ackles doesn't reveal any details about the episode he'll be directing in Supernatural season 15 (IMDB currently lists his offering as episode 4), this isn't the first time the actor has shifted behind the camera. Ackles first foray into directing on Supernatural came with "Weekend At Bobby's" in 2010 and he has since directed a further four installments, the most recent being season 11's "The Bad Seed." With Supernatural drawing to a close, it makes sense that Ackles might want one final stint as director before he and the rest of the cast find themselves unemployed.

This news will, however, undoubtedly be a double dose of positive news for Supernatural fans. Firstly, because of the bittersweet update that the final round of Supernatural pre-production is now taking place and secondly, because Ackles' previous directorial efforts on Supernatural have been well-received. With production on Supernatural season 15 in full swing, it's Shurley only a matter of time before some firm details about the final season come to light, whether that be future story developments or the inevitable crop of returning alumni.

More: How Supernatural's Original Five-Season Plan Ended

Supernatural season 15 premieres October 10th on The CW.

Source: Jensen Ackles