First Photos of Supernatural Season 12 Released

08/30/2016 07:55 pm EDT

It's time the family business got back into action. The CW has finally released their first photos of Supernatural's twelfth season, and as usual, there's plenty to unpack.

Heading into next season, Supernatural will be in for a few huge changes following the Season 11 finale. The last time fans saw Sam Winchester, he had been shot by an ally to the Men of Letters, Lady Toni Bevell. The British organization finally revealed themselves to the Winchesters, telling the brothers they've been tracking them for awhile now. However, the group is now fed-up with the family's destructive antics, leading the Men of Letters to accuse the brothers of changing the course of history.

And, what's more, last season saw one very big character brought back to life. Mary Winchester, played by Samantha Smith, returned to the show as she was revived by Amara as a gift to Dean Winchester. With Mary back in action, she'll be working to find Sam who's been taken hostage by the Men of Letters.

Fans of the long-running series are obviously hyped to see Supernatural come back for a twelfth season. And, at San Diego Comic Con, the show's EP Bob Singer promised Supernatural would be "going back to basics."

"We've introduced the British Men of Letters, they'll be part of what we're doing. And we've still got Lucifer out there, so there's a hunt for Lucifer," he said, referencing Season 12's baddies. He went on to say the show would focus on "smaller stories — some good old fashioned horror stories."

While some fans are skeptical about the show's new direction, plenty of viewers are ready for the change. After all, Supernatural's storylines have grown increasingly complicated over the past seasons, no doubt reaching a pinnacle when the boys found themselves facing down God and Lucifer.

The cast of Supernatural was also present at the convention and eagerly shared their thoughts on the show's future. Speaking about Mary's return, Jensen Ackles (Dean) said he was excited to see how the brothers' relationship with their mom will change. "It presents a dynamic we haven't had," he explained. "The children that she knew are now men, the relationship is kind of nonexistent, so it's going to be an interesting situation of them trying to bridge the gap that occurred over the last thirty-some years."

Jared Padalecki (Sam) also voiced his thoughts about Mary's revival, saying, "It's going to be an interesting dynamic to have someone 100 percent our blood; we find out more about what family means and how you become family. It's not always blood, it's pain, it's triumphs. Now Sam and Dean, with their mother, they're starting anew."

And, if you're curious about what Castiel is up to, Misha Collins said the angel is back to his lovable grumpy self. The actor teased Castiel got "much of his mojo back...he's angry and he's in a fighting spirit and he's after Lucifer. And now that Mary's back, he's tattletaling a lot."

Supernatural will return to The CW on October 13th 2017 for Season 12.

Disclosure: ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of Paramount. Sign up for Paramount+ by clicking here.