Supernatural almost brought back Lauren Cohan as Bela Talbot. Cohan, arguably best known for playing Maggie on The Walking Dead, has been involved with a number of genre projects over the course of her career. But, before breaking out on the hit zombie series, one of Cohan’s first major parts came in the early years of Supernatural.
Introduced in the season 3 episode “Bad Day at Black Rock”, Bela used her knowledge about monsters and demons for her own advantage rather than to help people. Positioned alternatively as a love interest and an antagonist, Bela proved to be divisive and the character was ultimately killed off midway through the season. Still, given that most characters on Supernatural don’t stay dead for too long, many have wondered why Cohan never made another guest appearance. In new remarks, the actress reveals that she did almost come back. She also joked about working with another Supernatural alum and her Walking Dead co-star, Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
In an interview with CinemaBlend, Cohan revealed that she had discussions with the creative team of Supernatural about the possibility of reprising her role as Bela. Though it wouldn’t have been for the final season, it would’ve occurred towards the end of the CW series. Cohan wanted to do it. But, as she explains, a conflict with her commitment on The Walking Dead made a return difficult. You can read Cohan’s full quote below.
“We did [have talks]. It wasn’t for the final episodes, but a couple of years ago, there was a small thing they wanted to do, and it was like at the exact same time as something really heavy on The Walking Dead. And no, it just didn’t happen. This is years ago, but no. . . . They should have. They could have had me and [Jeffrey Dean Morgan] in some random moment. They didn’t know each other, or wouldn’t have met, but then that would be three things that he and I have played across from each other. So that was an untapped opportunity, if you ask me. [Laughs.]“
Bela’s inclusion in Supernatural season 3 proved to be tricky. Along with Katie Cassidy as Ruby, Bela was introduced to audiences in an effort to grow the show’s roster of prominent female characters. These efforts were not helped by how, as creator Eric Kripke admitted, the writers struggled to integrate Bela into the storyline on an episodic basis. For a fanbase already weary of the possibility that the show might lose its central focus on the Winchester brothers, it didn’t help that Bela was an antagonist that outsmarted Sam and Dean on several occasions, even attempting to kill them more than once. As capable as Cohan was in the role, and as fun as it could be to watch her get the advantage, it wasn’t a sustainable dynamic so early into the lifespan of Supernatural.
As the drama evolved, and particularly when it moved past the pivotal fifth season, the series improved in its integration of supporting characters. Fans, as well, were more open to the idea of shifting the focus away from the sibling relationship of Sam and Dean. It would have been interesting to see Bela reemerge in that context. Perhaps she would have tried to make up for attempting to kill the show’s heroes. Plus, given the affinity that Supernatural had for meta humor, there might have even been a few jokes connecting John Winchester and Negan.
Source: CinemaBlend
Originally from https://screenrant.com/supernatural-show-bela-lauren-cohan-return-almost/