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The Batblade and Redbird motorcycles from the 1997 movie "Batman & Robin" are pictured during a media preview of Warner Bros. VIP Studio Tour "The Batman Exhibit" in Burbank, California June 26, 2014. Reuters/Mario Anzuoni

“Supernatural” actor Richard Speight Jr has only been in a total of five episodes, but that doesn’t stop the fans from associating him with the show. The 44-year-old actor revealed what’s the real deal with his character Gabriel. Is Gabriel still alive?

It had been almost four years since Richard last appeared in the show, and in that season five episode, he, as the archangel-in-hiding Gabriel, sacrificed his life to save Sam and Dean Winchester (Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles) from his brother Lucifer.

Richard is only a recurring guest star in the show, but fans love him so much that he is such a hit during every “Supernatural” convention.

In the season nine episode “Meta Fiction,” Richard surprised fans when he reprised his role. There was a collective cheer from the viewers when he appeared before Castiel (Misha Collins). However, the positive vibe didn’t last long. At the end of the episode, it was revealed that Castiel’s scenes with Gabriel were just fiction created by Metatron (Curtis Armstrong), leaving viewers still unsure whether Gabriel is still alive or truly dead.

Wonder no more; Gabriel is alive.

Or at least Richard thinks so. He has good and solid reasons to think so, too.

First is that writer Robbie Thompson wrote the piece to bring the character back. Richard said that the whole episode was structured to make Gabriel’s return obvious.

“And here’s what he sprinkled into the scene to indicate that. When Gabriel clicks out, once he’s busted, if it was Metatron running it, there’s no reason for Gabriel to snap in and out,” he told Fangasm in an exclusive interview.

“He would’ve just been gone, yeah. And the whole scene would’ve been gone and suddenly it would’ve been Metatron sitting there going ‘it was me, it wasn’t real.’

“So Robbie’s theory is that actually Gabriel has been around, and that Metatron convinced him that this was the right way to go, and that he agreed to help convince Castiel. So I snap him in and out – like when the girl breaks the window and Castiel says, ‘you’re not really who you say you are,’ I turn around and snap her out. So I’m still controlling what’s happening in that universe at that moment. Which is Robbie’s way and the show’s way of saying that Gabriel is still alive.”

Gabriel’s lines were also unmistakably Gabriel. Metatron wasn’t that fast and witty in his insults, but Gabriel spurted them out like he really owned them.

“Robbie and I worked on making that accurate – I mean, we changed lines – like me calling him [Metatron] shorty, that was an improve of the day,” Richard said. “That and me telling him [Castiel] tokeep his hands on the wheel. Because I’m previous cargo? I made that up.”

He added that it’s likely Metatron successfully convinced Gabriel with his sales pitch, and that Gabriel really wanted Castiel to lead an army.

Observant fans would also note that Gabriel’s clothes were different. As Speight said, if Metatron was only creating a fictional version of Gabriel, then he would have kept the clothes that he last saw Gabriel in.

“So that’s the thing – that’s Robbie, and Jeremy’s [Carver, executive producer] and the writers, everybody’s – that’s their intent – they kept all that in. Aside from the obvious, by the way, which is asking if he’s still alive, or if he’s really dead, and Gabriel not answering and giving him that look.

“To me it implied, duh. There’s no reason for him to pretend – what would Metatron’s end game to give him that look?”

However, Richard cleared that that’s not a guarantee the producers would bring back Gabriel, saying, “I think they left the door open very intentionally on purpose.”

Read his full interview on Fangasm.

Meanwhile, Richard has a cameo on the hilarious “Supernatural” behind-the-scenes mockumentary, in which he sidelines as a canteen staff. Timothy Omundson, who played Cain in season nine, also makes a brief appearance.

“Supernatural” season 10 will premiere on October 7.

Watch the hilarious behind-the-scenes from season 9. Richard’s scene appears @8:00 mark.

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