The CW orders pilots for Supernatural and Walker prequels, Gotham Knights

The Winchesters are back!

The CW has officially ordered pilots for the Supernatural prequel series The Winchesters — about Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean's (Jensen Ackles) parents John and Mary — as well as Walker prequel series Walker: Independence and DC series Gotham Knights, EW has learned. Additionally, the network has ordered six additional scripts for its Zorro reimagining, with a decision to be made about that series at a later date.

The Supernatural prequel series comes from executive producers Robbie Thompson, Ackles (who will also reprise his role of Dean to narrate), and Danneel Ackles, and will follow John and Mary Winchester before they became parents to Sam and Dean. The Winchesters is a one-hour drama that tells the epic love story of how John met Mary and how they put it all on the line to not only save their love, but the entire world. No word yet on who will take over the iconic roles from Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Samantha Smith, who played John and Mary over the course Supernatural's entire run, along with Matt Cohen and Amy Gumenick who played younger versions in flashbacks.

Walker's prequel series Walker: Independence is a one-hour drama set in the late 1800s. From executive producers Seamus Fahey, Anna Fricke, Padalecki, Dan Lin, Lindsey Liberatore, and Laura Terry, the origin story follows Abby Walker, an affluent Bostonian whose husband is murdered before her eyes while on their journey out West. On her quest for revenge, Abby crosses paths with Hoyt Rawlins, a lovable rogue in search of purpose. Abby and Hoyt's journey takes them to Independence, Texas, where they encounter diverse, eclectic residents running from their own troubled pasts and chasing their dreams. The newfound family will struggle with the changing world around them, while becoming agents of change themselves in a town where nothing is what it seems.

New DC series Gotham Knights is a one-hour drama based on the popular DC comics of the same name. The series will revolve around Batman characters, but it is not a spin-off of Batwoman, which is currently airing its third season. It is also not based on the upcoming Gotham Knights video game (slated for a 2022 release). From executive producers Chade Fiveash, James Stoteraux, Danny Cannon, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and David Madden, and co-executive producer Natalie Abrams, comes a new kind of Batman story: In the wake of Bruce Wayne's murder, his rebellious adopted son forges an unlikely alliance with the children of Batman's enemies when they are all framed for killing the Caped Crusader. And as the city's most wanted criminals, this renegade band of misfits must fight to clear their names. But in a Gotham with no Dark Knight to protect it, the city descends into the most dangerous it's ever been. However, hope comes from the most unexpected of places as this team of mismatched fugitives will become its next generation of saviors known as the Gotham Knights.

As for Zorro, the one-hour drama (which is not the same as Wilmer Valderrama's upcoming Disney+ series) comes from executive producers Sean Tretta, Robert Rodriguez, Rebecca Rodriguez, Ben Silverman, Rodney Ferrell, Howard T. Owens, Geoff Clark, Eric Bromberg, John Gertz, and Jay Weisleder. If ordered to pilot/series, the show will follow a young Latinx woman seeking vengeance for her father's murder as she joins a secret society and adopts the outlaw persona of Zorro.

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Related content:

• Jensen Ackles is developing Supernatural prequel series
• Walker spin-off in development at The CW
• The CW developing Gotham Knights TV series based on DC Comics