Supernatural made a triumphant return to the mighty Hall H this year on the final day of Comic-Con 2013, with panelists showrunner Jeremy Carver, executive producer Robert Singer, and stars Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles, Misha Collins, and Mark Sheppard, plus surprise guest Felicia Day.

It was the first panel of the day, starting at 10am, and getting in line for the day at 4:30 just barely got me in the door. Misha Collins, bless him, jogged the length of the line around 7:30:

The panel itself started off as it usually does, with an excellent season recap trailer and a great song (and a lot of cheering from the crowd):

Trailer: Supernatural – Comic-Con 2013

The group was in great form, as you can see, and gave us some terrific tidbits:

Jeremy Carver declared that Season 9 is going to be a “free-for-all”, a phrase that he used repeatedly. “The path of the fallen angels will cross with the Winchesters in a very big way; the boys will be knee-deep in angel problems.” He also said that there are big plans for Felicia Day (her first time in Hall H, how can that be?) in the upcoming season,  but (in answer to a fan question) no plans for the anti-christ character, at least for the early part of the season. We could all see those wheels turning in Carver’s head, though, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a return of that poor child in the spring.

Misha Collins reported that, as a fallen angel, Castiel will be eating food for the first time, so there’s a great bathroom scene ahead. Err okay. In better news, he’ll be directing episode 917. We won’t be seeing Jared Padalecki direct any time soon, though he’s interested;  their breaks aren’t very long and he wants to spend as much time as possible with his family in Texas.

In answer to a variety of fan questions, we got these interesting factoids:

• Jared would like to see the Winchesters use the grenade launcher that’s always in the trunk of the car.
• Jensen’s favorite gun is the 1911, and he’s become quite proficient with its care and use.
• Robert Singer reports that Jensen is very possessive about the Impala, preferring that no one else even touch it, including the Teamsters who are supposed to move it.
• Crowley is the only demon who can teleport, because he is the king.
• According to Felicia Day, Jensen Ackles smells like coriander leather.

We were treated to the first few minutes of the new season – sorry, no spoilers – and a great gag reel, as you can imagine. The panel was over too fast, and October seems too long to wait for what promises to be another great Supernatural season.

Supernatural Season 9, starring Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins, and Mark Sheppard, premieres Tuesday, October 15 at 9/8c on The CW.