Why Bobby's Original Name Had To Be Changed On Supernatural

No CW show has lasted longer than "Supernatural," and there is quite an obvious reason for that (via TVLine). The relationship between Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) is the lynchpin of the series. The formerly estranged brothers cling to each other with the desperation of two people with shared familial trauma. Whether they are willing to admit it or not, their hunt for monsters is deeply steeped in their father's (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) abuse of taking away their childhood. Every child deserves the comfort and safety of a parent, and even though Dean is militant in his devotion to their father, both Winchester boys got the short end of the stick with John Winchester's divisive parenting.

John may be their father, but luckily for the boys, they found a real dad in fellow hunter Bobby Singer (Jim Beaver). Introduced at the tail end of the first season, Bobby has been one of the only positive paternal figures the brothers ever had. His name has reached mythic heights — so much so that it seems impossible there was once a time when the character would have had a different moniker.

The Winchester brothers' most non-toxic parental figure has some of the most wholesome roots. As Bobby is the father that Sam and Dean never had, the inspiration for the character was rooted in figures that "Supernatural" creator Eric Kripke looked up to. When speaking at the 2011 PaleyFest, Kripke revealed that Bobby was a combination of two important people in his life (via Eclipse Magazine). Producers Bob Singer and Kim Manners were instrumental in Kripke's education in the entertainment industry. He looked up to them as father figures and from them, Bobby Singer was born. But the name of the character went through several variations.

"[T]he character's name originally was 'Bobby Manners.' But when the name went through legal clearance they said that there was a real 'Bobby Manners' that lived in South Dakota. And if legal finds things like that, you have to change the name," Kripke stated at the panel. "So I made it 'Singer.' And Bob, to his eternal chagrin, wasn't in that day. And when he came back he was all 'what the hell is this?!'" Those who watch the credits for "Supernatural" will already know that the character of Bobby Singer shares the name of the executive producer. The real Robert Singer will now forever be connected with one of the most significant characters in the series.

If the real Robert Singer had reservations about his name being used in projects, he must have some feelings about Eric Kripke's series "The Boys." The "Supernatural" creator currently runs the satirical superhero series and found another way to include the name. Jim Beaver turned from "Supernatural" to "The Boys" as none other than presidential candidate Robert A. Singer. A decisive contrast to his lovable curmudgeon Bobby Singer, this Bob Singer is in cahoots with Vought's CEO, villainous Stan Edgar (Giancarlo Esposito).

But he isn't the only "Supernatural" alumnus to return to Kripke. Jensen Ackles jumped into the role of the morally compromised Soldier Boy in Season 3. With the power to blast away Compound V in the veins of supes, Soldier Boy became a serious problem not just for the titular Boys, but for sociopathic Homelander (Antony Starr) as well. Soldier Boy was more or less defeated in the final episode of the season, leaving room for yet another "Supernatural" cast member to show up in Season 4.

Kripke tweeted that Jeffrey Dean Morgan has been cast for the fourth season. The showrunner had been pushing to include Morgan and though it seemed unlikely that anything would materialize, Morgan was just as passionate about joining the cast. "I'll make it work," he assured Kripke on Twitter. No word as of yet who he will be playing, but if we know "The Boys," it is sure to be shocking.