Fans of ‘Supernatural’ can now rejoice after actor Jared Padalecki revealed that Sam Winchester is alive and well in the next season.

The last time fans left the siblings, God and Amara already attained peace but their mysterious disappearance left behind a gift for Dean, played by Jensen Ackles. Samantha Smith’s character- Mary Winchester- has returned from the dead. However, fans question whether Sam himself would still be around to witness her return.

When Sam went home, he came across a Woman of Letters and, after his attempt to approach her, the season finale ended with a gunshot.

At the Comic-Con panel for ‘Supernatural’ on Sunday, Padalecki assured fans that his character will be back in season 12.

“Thankfully, Sam Winchester is alive,” he teased. “Because he’s not a lose-chester.”

In the upcoming installment, there will be more details about the female character who shot Sam, a member of the British Men of Letters.

“We find out more about the Men of Letters and their worldwide society,” Padalecki shared. “We’ll learn more about what she wants and what they want. Obviously she and Sam didn’t start out on the right foot. From the looks of things in the promo, [in which Sam is being tortured], we see they’re not off to a great start, but we don’t know why or what happens.”

The return of Mary, the mother of Dean and Sam, was also a hot topic during the panel as Smith joined the actors on stage.

“It certainly presents a dynamic that we haven’t had ever,” co-star Ackles explained. “The interesting thing is when Mom left, Sam was a baby and Dean was a child. The children that she knew are now men, so the relationship was nonexistent. It’s going to be an interesting situation of them trying to bridge that massive gap that occurred over the past 30-odd years.”

The ‘Smallville’ alum also expressed his concern over Mary’s difficult situation of “plugging herself” into their lives. This could include the possibility of the villains using Mary to hurt the siblings and leaving them more vulnerable.

As for Smith’s sentiments about her character’s arrival, she believes there are many things to be considered, especially after being dead and leaving a huge gap in the lives of Mary’s sons.

“I’ve always loved Mary and to be able to experience her from a whole different perspective is incredibly fun for me,” the 46-year-old actress shared. “To not just be passing through as a ghost is actually really fun. It could go anywhere, so I’m having a good time with that.”

Even for Castiel, played by Misha Collins, the origin story of Mary and his Winchester children remains crucial to the show. Collins’ character also has a “very cool dynamic” with Mary, as pointed out by executive producer Andrew Dabb.

“We’ve still got Lucifer out there, so there’s a hunt for Lucifer,” executive producer Bob Singer added, confirming that the upcoming instalment season will go back to the basics. “You don’t get bigger than God. This year we can’t top all that… [We’re going to] tell smaller stories, some good old-fashioned horror stories.”

‘Supernatural’ season 12 is set to premiere on Oct. 13, Thursday, at 9 p.m. on The CW.