Supernatural's series finale, "Carry On," said goodbye to Sam and Dean Winchester after an epic journey to hell and back (more than a few times), but is there a chance they could return for season 16? Debuting on The WB back in 2005, Supernatural was an instant draw for viewers thanks to the chemistry between stars Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles. The show enjoyed a ratings boost after the addition of Misha Collins as the angel Castiel in season 4, and viewership has mostly held steady for the past decade.

Rather than being cancelled by The CW, Supernatural coming to an end was a creative decision on the part of the showrunners and stars. Speaking at VegasCon in 2019, Ackles said, "It wasn't an easy decision. It was months and months, if not years of discussion... Nobody wanted to see this show fizzle out." After 15 years on TV, Supernatural was simply starting to run out of new stories to tell, and everyone involved wanted to go out on a high note.

Related: Why Supernatural’s Final Episode Is Titled ‘Carry On’

The general rule for TV revivals is "never say never," especially given the recent returns of long-concluded TV shows like The X-Files and Twin Peaks. The CW president Mark Pedowitz said in 2016, "There’s an open pass [to continuing Supernatural indefinitely] if the boys keep wanting to do it," which means that Ackles and Padalecki would likely be welcomed back with open arms if they ever got homesick for the Impala. As of the time of writing, however, there are no plans for Supernatural season 16 at The CW.

Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS ahead for Supernatural's series finale.

Supernatural Series Finale Dean

Sam and Dean have both died more than once in Supernatural's 15 years on air, but the series finale did everything it could to give them both a definitive ending. Dean is killed on a hunt and makes Sam promise not to bring him back, since that never ends well. A flash-forward reveals that Sam lived on to become an old man with a son of his own, and he dies a peaceful death in bed. He's reunited with Dean (and the Impala) in Heaven, and Supernatural ends with the two brothers hugging it out.

While fans have expressed mixed emotions in response to the finale, it gives Sam and Dean a happy ending that it would be a shame to retcon away. Still there are other options for Supernatural to continue - for example, by following Sam's son as he tries to live up to his father's legacy (he has an anti-possession tattoo, indicating that he's also a hunter), or with a spinoff set in some other corner of the expansive world of demons, angels and monsters that Supernatural has built up. In the meantime, fans can occupy themselves by rewatching 15 seasons of one of the best supernatural shows on TV.

More: Why Supernatural's Penultimate Episode Felt Like The Finale