It’s not often that you think of Supernatural and the John Wick franchise in the same breath, but there is one episode of the popular 15-season series that mimicked the high-octane action flick in the best of ways. When tackling his last directorial effort of the series, series star Jensen Ackles took direct inspiration from the Keanu Reeves thrillers, even going so far as to copy specific moves from the fight choreography. It’s an electrifying sequence that offers the best of Supernatural‘s stunt work, opening Season 15’s “Atomic Monsters” with a literal bang.

“Atomic Monsters” Opens With a Jensen Ackles-Directed Fight Sequence Pulled from ‘John Wick’

If you’ve seen “Atomic Monsters,” then you know the exact sequence we’re talking about. That action-packed opening where an Alternate Dean Winchester (Ackles) shoots and stabs his way through the Men of Letter’s bunker, overwhelmed by demonic forces. The red emergency lights scream danger, and this version of Dean is clearly desperate as he fights his way to his brother Sam (Jared Padalecki), who has seemingly succumbed to his demon blood-born psychic abilities. Written by Davy Perez, one of the most engaging writers of the show’s later seasons, Ackles took this scene to the next level during his time in the director’s chair. From the beginning, he knew exactly what he wanted it to look like. When speaking with Men’s Health in July 2025, Jensen Ackles discussed in detail the worst fight sequence he ever experienced on Supernatural, but he also took some time to detail his experience crafting one of the very best, with this “Atomic Monsters” opener coming out on top.

“As the show progressed, I started taking a little bit more of an interest in how the stunts were choreographed and how they were designed and what exactly my body was going to be going through,” Ackles explained. “But it wasn’t just out of self-preservation, I wanted to make it even more cinematic.” In the aftermath of having been a part of several bad stunts as Dean Winchester, Ackles took a different approach to on-screen fights with the final episode of Supernatural he directed. While “Atomic Monsters” is a great episode for a plethora of reasons, it was made even better due to the intense alternate universe battle at hand here. “I kinda took inspiration from the John Wick films that were out at that time, and maybe stole a few things,” the actor-turned-director revealed. “But hey, if you’re going to steal, steal from the best, right?” Considering how John Wick action choreography has been parroted by just about everyone in the last decade, it’s understandable that Supernatural would want to try its hand at the stylish fight sequences as well.

Ackles also recalled that they attempted to do the entire sequence in one shot, further echoing the style of the John Wick movies (which almost went by a different name). Of course, in the final product, there are several small cuts during the hallway sequence, but one can hardly tell. The battle is chalk-full of flips, somersaults, close-up action, and body slams that make full use of Dean’s decades-long career on the job. The whole hallway sequence looks amazing, emphasizing how much Ackles had learned from doing 15 years-worth of television action scenes for the role. Because this takes place in an alternate universe, this Dean is a bit more ruthless on camera, but it works perfectly for what Ackles wanted to convey here. With a mixture of fast-paced action and added slow-motion for emphasis, the “Atomic Monsters” opening has got to be one of the best (if not the best) in the whole show, and Supernatural has John Wick to thank for it. “Give me a long stunt day any day,” Ackles concluded. “I’ll take it.”

Jensen Ackles Made ‘Supernatural’s Best Fight Scene Even Better With a Surprise Cameo

For longtime Supernatural fans, seeing a Dean Winchester who goes “no holds barred” on his paranormal adversaries was a dream come true. To watch the hunter cut loose in defending his home is something that the show never explored all too much, but here Ackles gets into the nitty-gritty of the Winchester family business. But one thing that nobody expected was a surprise cameo from a long-gone character who made a serious impact on Dean back during the show’s eighth season: Ty Olsson’s Benny Lafitte. Dean first met Benny between Seasons 7 and 8 when he and Castiel (Misha Collins) were trapped in Purgatory, the afterlife for monsters. Benny was a vampire (a “vampirate,” more specifically), but a noble blood-sucker who aided the pair to the portal that would allow them to escape the otherworldly realm. After five appearances in Season 8, Benny sacrificed himself to help Dean save Sam, who was trapped in Purgatory in “Taxi Driver,” only returning once more in Season 10’s “The Werther Project” (though as a hallucination). Here in “Atomic Monsters,” he’s very real.

But Benny wasn’t originally written into that apocalyptic opening. The character hadn’t been seen or heard from for years (despite fan adoration of him), and so Ackles had an idea. In speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Ackles revealed that he was the driving force for bringing back Benny for a quick one-and-done cameo, even if it was an alternate universe version of the vampire.

At Ackles’ request, Olsson flew in for a few hours of shooting, adding an emotional weight to the scene that wouldn’t have come across for audiences if Dean was simply mourning a random hunter. The brotherly bond between the characters had been quite apparent in Season 8, and although this scene was shot seven years later, they picked up right where the main universe’s Dean and Benny left off. With Benny’s death in the back of his mind, the Alternate Dean goes to confront a demonic Sam, who finishes the whole thing off by killing his older brother.

“Atomic Monsters” Features One of the Most Thrilling Openings on ‘Supernatural’

Image via The CW

With all the momentous effort that Jensen Ackles put into that “Atomic Monsters” opener, it’s hard to think of another Supernatural action sequence that lives up to the new standard he sets here. It’s a good thing that this bit took place in the show’s final season, otherwise fans would’ve been chomping at the bits for more John Wick-styled action in the future. Of course, if Supernatural were to ever return for another season down the line, there may be an expectation for better, more graphic fights in the future, especially if Ackles returns to direct. While there’s been no news on the Supernatural revival front, Ackles, Padalecki, and Collins continue to express their interest in seeing the show come back at some point. If it does, perhaps it should follow an alternate Sam and Dean Winchester, a pair who live in a world where this sort of demonic warfare reigns supreme.

Release Date

2005 – 2020

Network

The WB, The CW

Showrunner

Eric Kripke

Directors

Philip Sgriccia, John F. Showalter, Kim Manners, Thomas J. Wright, Charles Beeson, Guy Norman Bee, Richard Speight Jr., Mike Rohl, John Badham, Steve Boyum, Amyn Kaderali, Jensen Ackles, Tim Andrew, Eduardo Sánchez, Jeannot Szwarc, P.J. Pesce, Nina Lopez-Corrado, James L. Conway, amanda tapping, J. Miller Tobin, Stefan Pleszczynski, John MacCarthy, Jerry Wanek, Ben Edlund

Writers

Meredith Glynn, Davy Perez, Raelle Tucker, Cathryn Humphris, Brett Matthews, Nancy Won, John Bring, Ben Acker, Daniel Knauf, David Ehrman, James Krieg, Trey Callaway