Walker Director Jensen Ackles Wraps Filming & Reclaims His Name, Too

It’s safe to say that if you’re reading this then you’ve been following along with us as we’ve been covering the shenanigans taking place on the set of the Jared Padalecki-starring Walker. This week, Padalecki has been reunited with his Supernatural co-star with Jensen Ackles (The Boys) directing what looks to be the 14th episode of The CW series. But something has been happening to Ackles while on the set that he’s been kind enough to share with us. Essentially, someone or more than one has been taking Ackles on a trip down memory lane of his various “identities” over the years via his director’s chair. We’re talking from being someone’s son, Dean Winchester & Soldier Boy to Eric Brady on Days of Our Lives (1997-2000) and Jason Todd aka Red Hood in 2010’s animated Batman: Under the Red Hood. But now we’ve reached the sixth and what we’re now learning is his final day of directing, so it seems only fitting that Ackles be given the chance to reclaim his name proper, and his role as director (though from the screencap below, the experience really might’ve left Ackles suffering from an “identity crisis”:

Padalecki is teaming with series creator, executive producer & showrunner Anna Fricke, and executive producers Seamus Fahey, Dan Lin & Lindsey Liberatore to develop the prequel origin story Walker: Independence. Written by Fahey from a story by Fahey and Fricke, the spinoff is set in the late 1800s and follows Abby Walker, an affluent Bostonian whose husband is murdered before her eyes while on their journey out West. On her quest for revenge, Abby crosses paths with Hoyt Rawlins, a lovable rogue in search of purpose. Abby and Hoyt’s journey takes them to Independence, Texas, where they encounter diverse, eclectic residents running from their own troubled pasts and chasing their dreams. Our newfound family will struggle with the changing world around them while becoming agents of change themselves in a town where nothing is what it seems. Larry Teng (Nancy Drew, Elementary) is set to direct and executive produce the pilot. Padalecki & Fahey will executive produce alongside Fricke and Laura Terry via Pursued By a Bear, as well as Lin and Liberatore of Rideback. CBS Studios will serve as the studio.

The CW’s Walker also stars Lindsey Morgan (The 100), Keegan Allen (Pretty Little Liars), Mitch Pileggi (The X-Files), Molly Hagen (Law & Order: True Crime), Coby Bell (The Gifted), Jeff Pierre (9-1-1, Beyond), Violet Brinson (Sharp Objects), Kale Culley (Me, Myself and I), Genevieve Padalecki (Supernatural), Odette Annable (Supergirl), Chris Labadie (Nightmare Smile), Matt Barr (Valor, Hellcats), Jeffrey Nordling (Big Little Lies), Alex Meneses (Jane the Virgin), and Dave Annable (What/If). The CW series is written and executive produced by Anna Fricke (Being Human, Valor), and executive produced by Dan Lin, Lindsay Liberatore, and Padalecki. CBS Television Studios handles production, in association with Rideback.