There's big news in the 'Supernatural' realm: Misha Collins, who plays the angel Castiel, won't be a series regular in season 7 of the CW show. 'Supernatural' executive producer and showrunner Sera Gamble told
TV Line's Vlada Gelman that though there will be angelic story lines next season, they'll be more "self-enclosed."
"We love Misha. We love and adore the character of Castiel," Gamble said. "His character developed to this extent and went in this unexpected direction because we were so inspired by him."
The unexpected development in Friday's season finale (which I wrote about
here): Cas has incredible new powers, which he acquired when he broke open Purgatory and used the souls there to give himself god-like abilities.
Collins joined the show in season 4 and was an instant fan favorite. The actor was made a series regular for seasons 5 and 6, but some 'Supernatural' devotees were disappointed that there wasn't more of his angelic presence in season 6, which saw Cas making a secret pact with Crowley, the king of Hell.
Castiel's ascension to god-like status will be "what we'll be exploring next season," Gamble said. He'll return for the season opener, but beyond that, Gamble couldn't say much without giving away some season 7 story lines.
"When it comes to 'Supernatural,' our philosophy is that everyone moves in and out and weaves in and out of the story, obviously with the exception of Sam and Dean," Gamble added.
TV Line's Gelman also noted that two important names -- Eric Kripke and Ben Edlund -- were not mentioned the recent CW "Upfront" press release about the network's 2011-2012 season. Kripke, who stepped down as showrunner but kept the title executive producer for season 6, created 'Supernatural,' and Edlund, a longtime writer who's penned many fan-favorite episodes, held the title executive producer in seasons 5 and 6.
Though their names were not mentioned in the Upfront press release, Gamble said that they're both still working on the show.
"Their titles have changed," Gamble said. "There are a lot of technical and contractual reasons that people's titles change that don't necessarily reflect their level of involvement or commitment to the show. ... They've been in the [writers] room with me every day this week."
Speaking of season 7, what do we know about it? Here's what the CW 2011-2012 press release had to say about what's to come in the fall:
"[I]n season seven, the Winchesters will find themselves in an increasingly sinister, changing landscape, up against a new foe unlike anything they've ever fought. They'll find their old tricks, weapons and hiding places all rendered useless. All they'll have is each other. And the certainty that, like the last of the cowboy outlaws, whatever they face, they're not going down without a fight."
Hmmm... what makes me a little uneasy is this part of the press release: "All they'll have is each other." In my
review of the season 6 finale, I talked about how the Winchesters' world seems pretty limited these days, if not a little claustrophobic. I hope season 7 isn't just Sam and Dean almost all of the time. As much as I love the performances of Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, the supporting and recurring characters are a big part of what makes the show's world interesting and emotionally rich.