Mark Sheppard plays Crowley in "Supernatural"
Mark Sheppard plays Crowley in "Supernatural" Twitter/Mark_Sheppard

“Supernatural” star Mark Sheppard is going back to hell, his character Crowley, that is. The 52-year-old English actor has revealed how Crowley would fare in the upcoming 12th season now that demons don’t want him as their king, and how he missed his short-lived bromance with Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles).

Spoilers ahead for ‘Supernatural’ season 11 and 12

In season 11, Crowley has had a hard time convincing demons to take him back as their king. The demons saw him as the Winchesters’ ally and an inferior to Lucifer, who, while occupying Castiel’s (Misha Collins) vessel, turned Crowley into a slave in front of the demons. It didn’t help his case when his literal witch of a mum, Rowena (Ruth Connell), made him look like a pushover.

With Lucifer forcibly banished from Castiel’s body at the season 12 finale, Crowley is set to reclaim his throne in hell. And it’s not going to be easy.

Read: ‘Supernatural’ season 12 spoilers: SDCC reveals Rick Springfield as the new Lucifer; Mary Winchester’s special bond with Castiel

“He wants to be in charge. But he has a few overpowering obstacles. Lucifer is the biggest one,” Sheppard told TV Insider, admitting that Crowley is unhappy in hell. However, a little unhappiness wouldn’t deter him from claiming what he thinks is rightfully his.

“That’s his destiny. He likes to pretend he doesn’t care, but he’d be a bit lost without the job. Maybe he’s destined to fail, but it’s so amusing watching him try to regain the throne.”

Crowley is the longest lasting villain in the show. He is also the character that fans should hate but can’t. Sheppard said that Crowley gets flak from fans for killing Meg (played by Rachel Miner in season 8). But apart from that minor detail, many fans couldn’t remember why Crowley is even classified as a villain.

Meg, originally played by Nicki Aycox, started as a villain but became a trusted ally of the Winchesters and a possible love interest for Castiel. Just before Crowley killed her, she had asked Sam Winchester (Jared Padalecki) to “go save your brother and my unicorn,” referring to Dean and Castiel respectively.

Crowley was unhappy in season 11. Sheppard said the former King of the Crossroads missed his bromance with Dean, who was briefly a demon in season 10. “Their bromance was important to him, and when that went up in smoke, he didn’t do a good job of running Hell.”

Underneath Crowley’s sass is a man who just needs to be loved. As the actor defended, Crowley is a good guy. “The Winchesters kill a lot more people than Crowley does. He wants everyone to like him.”

“Supernatural” season 12 will be back in the US in October. Its Australian airdate is yet to be announced.

Read more:
‘Supernatural’ season 12 spoilers: Mary Winchester’s big secret
‘Supernatural’ is the favourite of both Republican and Democrat viewers in the US