Most of us were really excited when we knew that The CW had ordered Walker, a reboot of the 1990s western drama television series Walker, Texas Ranger. Then our excitement went through the roof when it was announced in 2020 that the show was ordered straight to series with Supernatural star Jared Padalecki playing the titular role. The show was released on the network in 2021 and became an instant hit with the fans. Padalecki does a phenomenal role reimagining Chuck Norris from the original action series in the ’90s. He portrays the role of a Texas lawman who spends his day catching bad guys all while raising his teenage children without his wife.

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The Walker reboot went the extra mile by bringing a new depth to the main character, which is something the ’90s show didn’t have any interest in exploring. After concluding his famous show Supernatural, the show has been the perfect stage for Padalecki. Now he’s not only the leading man but also the executive producer. Since Walker has been doing so well, The CW has started production on a new prequel series titled Walker: Independence. Let’s find out everything we know so far about the upcoming series.

The Plot

     The CW

Well, that’s a tough one because there’s not much we know about Walker: Independence. However, based on the synopsis, it seems this TV series will be an Old West affair with the storyline set sometime in the late 1800s. It will follow Hoyt Rawlins and Abby Walker, the ancestors of the characters fans have grown to love.

The official synopsis reads,

There is, of course, a connection between the 2021 Walker TV series and this new prequel, but how exactly will the two shows be connected is not clear so far. Given the character names have been revealed, it’s clear that they are meant to be distant ancestors to Cordell Walker and his buddy Hoyt, who’s now deceased.

The Cast & Crew

Deadline also reported that several new faces will be joining this series. Katherine McNamara, of Arrow fame, is set to star as the female lead. She’ll portray the role of Abby Walker, an affluent Bostonian who witnessed her husband’s murder while they were heading out West. Then we have Matt Barr, who played Hoyt Rawlins in the 2021 Walker series, starring as Hoyt Rawlins in the prequel. Talk about solid lineage! The 1800s Rawlins is a gambler and an outlaw who lays low in the town of Independence, but after meeting Abby, he seemingly falls for her. Justin Johnson Cortez of the 911: Lone Star fame is set to play Calian as a series regular. Calian is a member of an Indigenous scouting party outside Independence. He speaks English fluently and has reservations about the increase of white settlers out West.

In addition to these three, Katie Findlay will also join the cast as a series regular in the role of Kate, a burlesque dancer who is, in fact, a federal agent. Philemon Chambers of the Single All The Way fame will come on board as Augustus “Gus,” a deputy sheriff in Independence, who’s careful, polite, even-tempered, and genuinely willing to help others. Wu Assassins star Lawrence Kao will play Kai, a younger Chinese man fluent in English and running a local laundry.

The series will be directed and executive produced by Larry Teng. He’s known for directing multiple episodes in different series such as NCIS: Los Angeles, Medium, Elementary, Criminal Minds, Hawaii Five-o, and more.

Expected Release Date

The CW hasn’t announced any official release date for the Walker: Independence just yet. It was only until recently the network finalized on the cast. There’s no production date scheduled either. This makes it tricky to predict when we can expect to see the show debut on our screens. Stay tuned for more info!