It looks as though Jensen Ackles’ casting in Prime Video’s The Boys back in 2020 has been an incredible catalyst for a lasting relationship between the actor and the studio. Ackles had a string of small roles that kicked off his career in the 1990s and early 2000s, with the most notable being a prominent part as Eric Brady in the soap opera, Days of Our Lives, from 1997 to 2000, where Ackles appeared in nearly 450 episodes.

Following this, Ackles went on to pick up some recurring roles with The WB, the precursor to The CW, when he appeared in Dawson’s Creek as C.J., and then Jason Teague in Smallville. And of course, this led to Ackles most prestigious and enduring role as Dean Winchester in The CW’s Supernatural, a role which he continued to appear in for 15 years, from 2005 to 2020 (though technically still less episodes than in his three-year stint at Days of Our Lives).

Well, despite Supernatural ending in 2020, it seems as though Ackles has landed on his feet in a big way with his relationship with Prime Video, which appears to be consistently bringing the actor back even in the face of some projects dissolving.

After Countdown’s Cancellation, Jensen Ackles Will Play Another Prime Video Detective In Rules Of Prey

In October 2025, Countdown, an exciting new crime thriller starring Jensen Ackles as the tenacious LAPD Officer, Mark Meachum, was canceled, just one month after the debut season concluded. Thankfully, Ackles was still connected to the final season of The Boys, which would air in 2026, and the spin-off series, Vought Rising is due to pick up after The Boys aired.

Then, Deadline announced in September 2026 that Ackles would also be starring in another upcoming crime thriller series for Prime Video called Rules of Prey. The series is based on the first book in the Prey series by John Sandford, and this announcement proves that as often as the projects where Ackles stars may chop and change, Prime Video is keen to keep the actor on the books.

Obviously, fans of Ackles hope that Rules of Prey will have a better fate than Countdown, but safe in the knowledge that Ackles will be showing up on the platform in various forms for years to come is a comforting substitute until another show finally catches on and finds the audience that can keep it going for many seasons to come.

Rules Of Prey Will Have A Tonal Shift Compared To Countdown

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Countdown saw Ackles tackle a role that was noticeably different from several of the characters that helped the actor to make his name in Hollywood, considering Mark Meachum was very much a team player operating as part of a task force. However, Ackles’ most loved performances have been when he appears isolated, gruff, and unwilling to work with others without resisting.

This is true of his time as Dean Winchester; despite his partnership with his brother Sam, Dean would rush into action and often act of his own volition. Then, in The Boys, as Soldier Boy, the audience was made aware that he once led a team of superheroes, but the character we experienced was a lone wolf.

Rules of Prey is likely to be a much better fit, and a throwback to these types of characters, as Ackles is set to play Lucas Davenport, who like Meachum, is a member of law enforcement, but unlike the Countdown lead, Davenport has chosen a life of seclusion.

It isn’t until a serial killer begins to leave clues that directly call out Davenport that he begrudgingly returns to the force, and begins to work with a team to uncover what all of it means. Evidently, Rules of Prey will be a very different show to Countdown, but it certainly seems like an ideal fit for Jensen Ackles and one that Prime Video is lucky to have him accept.

Network

MGM+

Directors

Daniel Sackheim