Why Supernatural's Crowley Left The Show On Bad Terms

Summary

• Crowley sacrifices himself in the season 12 finale of Supernatural to seal Lucifer in Hell.
• Mark A. Sheppard's departure from the show was not amicable, and there were no plans for his return.
• Since leaving Supernatural, Sheppard has gone on to star in other shows like Doom Patrol, MacGyver, and Walker: Independence.

While he was always a popular character, many viewers and actor Mark A. Sheppard weren't happy about the Crowley Supernatural ending and his exit from the show. Any long-running TV show ends up creating recurring characters that gain popularity with audiences. This is especially true for Supernatural, as the series' fanbase is notably loyal and devoted. Many characters who left the show returned purely because of their popularity with the viewership. However, while Supernatural is well-known for having dead characters return later on, that wasn't the case for Mark A. Sheppard's Crowley, who was first introduced in season 5.

Crowley began his tenure as an unequivocal villain, but as Supernatural went on, he found his interests aligning with Sam and Dean Winchester more and more often, to the point where he seemed to develop an unconventional friendship with the brothers. Crowley's demonic nature meant he could never be fully trusted, but he still bailed the Winchesters out of several jams. While he became a mainstay on the show, Crowley left Supernatural in season 12, and the terms of his departure were less than amicable.

Supernatural is available to stream on Netflix.

What Happened To Crowley In Supernatural

Crowley Sacrifices Himself In The Season 12 Finale

The Crowley Supernatural death happens in the season 12 finale when he sacrifices his own life to seal Lucifer in Hell. This happens during episode 22, "All Along the Watchtower", during the event referred to in the show as "D-Day", when Kelly delivers Lucifer's spawn. The Winchester brothers need a way to stop Lucifer and, with Rowena dead, they agree to accept Crowley's help to seal the gates of Hell.

When they can't kill Lucifer with angel-killing bullets, Crowley offers his own life to heal the rip between worlds and dies at his own hands, driving the Angel Blade into his stomach. Supernatural wrapped up its 15th season in 2020, and neither Crowley nor Sheppard ever returned.

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Why Mark A. Sheppard Exited Supernatural

The Crowley Supernatural Death Was A Producer Decision

Not long after the Supernatural Crowley death, there was a moment on X (formerly known as Twitter) in which executive producer Jim Michaels hinted that Crowley and Mark A. Sheppard might not be done with the series for good. However, Sheppard responded by accusing Michaels of intentionally misleading fans and stated bluntly there were no plans for him to come back at any juncture.

Supernatural viewers were left baffled and wondered why there seemed to be bad blood. While details surrounding Sheppard's exit still aren't entirely clear, the actor did reveal during a convention panel in 2018 how he felt about Crowley's ending (via YouTube).

Sheppard said the writers and producers decided to move in a different direction that didn't include Crowley. He felt like they wanted to write him out for the story for about two years, even though they weren't honest with him about it. He also thought the Crowley changes were poorly done, and he went from "being the smartest character on the show to being the dumbest character on the show in two seasons." He also thinks the writers ran out of ideas for him. Interestingly, Sheppard revealed during a different 2018 convention appearance that he didn't necessarily want to leave Supernatural.

What Mark A. Sheppard Has Done Since Leaving Supernatural

The Supernatural Crowley Actor Went On To Star In Doom Patrol

After the Supernatural Crowley departure in 2017, Mark Sheppard went on to DC's Doom Patrol series as the chaos magician Willoughby Kipling. He also appeared in MacGyver season 1, episode 21, and took on a role in the CW's Walker: Independence. His time playing Crowley in Supernatural may have ended unceremoniously, but Sheppard's career thrived. Whether he'll ever top the popularity he developed on Supernatural is a question that an actor of Sheppard's skill will have no problem answering with a resounding "yes" in due course.