When the apocalyptic premier of “Supernatural” season 5 hits the airwaves this fall, the Winchester brothers will face down Heaven and Hell with a little help from their friends�"and long-dead loves.

Casting news and subsequent spoilers have dominated the usual haunts of Supernatural fans during this year’s hiatus. While it has been known for a while that Misha Collins (”Castiel”) will be a series regular, fans breathed a sigh of relief that Bobby (Jim Beaver) survived the season 4 finale and will return, as well.

In fact, numerous friends and foes will return, among them: the recently re-graced Anna, the manipulative angel Zachariah, the Prophet Chuck and the cantankerous hunter Rufus. Yet, the most anticipated character return has only recently come to light�"Jessica (Adrianne Palicki), Sam’s ill-fated girlfriend who met her fiery fate in the pilot.

Creator Eric Kripke and the rest of the creative team are keeping tight-lipped about what capacity Jessica will return, but in the world of “Supernatural,” it could be anything. (She has already made appearances as a vision/ghost and in a genie-drug induced dream sequence.)

Perhaps the one bit of casting news that could overshadow the return of a character so entrenched in the show’s mythos is a character of mythological proportions�"Lucifer, himself.

As the war between Heaven and Hell heated up in season 4, it remained unclear if the man downstairs would ever make an on-screen appearance. Speculation came to a halt when it was announced that Mark Pellegrino (”Lost,” “Dexter”) was signed on to tackle the challenge. (Interestingly, Pellegrino had been previously considered for the role of Castiel.)

Writer and supervising producer Sera Gamble divulged even more spoilers and teased fans in an interview with WinchesterBros.com, which can be here.

“Supernatural,” starring Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, returns September 10 on the CW.