'Walker: Independence' Trying to Find New Home After CW Cancellation
Fans of Walker had quite a roller coaster of emotions earlier this week, but the hope isn't dying out just yet. While the Jared Padalecki-led series was renewed for a fourth season, prequel series Walker: Independence wasn't so lucky, as it was canceled after just one season. However, executive producer Padalecki tells TVLine that they are already trying to find the Western drama a new home.
"We are aggressively looking for a place that Walker Independence can land," Padalecki says. "I think canceled is maybe the most common word used, but I think a better way to look at it is that Walker: Independence will not be on The CW next year. I'm so proud of Walker: Independence. It's such a great show. I think it's a show that's needed. We absolutely are thrilled about the show, proud of the show, and we all feel like it belongs somewhere people can see it. We love the cast. We love the writing. We love the setting. We love the storylines that it's telling. It's storylines unlike any other 'Western' show on TV or streaming right now."
It's still very early in the cancellation stage, so it's always possible that the series will find a new home elsewhere. It sounds like Jared Padalecki and the whole Independence team are optimistic about the show moving forward somewhere else. Since it is streaming on HBO Max, it's possible it will get picked up by the streamer, especially since Walker is also streaming on the platform, so it would still be paired up with its predecessor in some way.
Due to the Nexstar ownership, The CW has been cutting more originals than it is renewing, filling its schedule for the 2023-24 season with more acquired shows, such as the Scott Patterson drama Sullivan's Crossing. The CW is not like what it used to be, which is definitely a disappointment, so once the network announces its fall schedule, it's going to be a pretty big and weird change not seeing a lot of originals on the lineup.
Walker: Independence aired its finale back in March, so any news on its future was a long wait for fans. While it wasn't exactly news that fans were hoping for, at least Walker will be coming back. Plus, since the prequel is being shopped around, who knows what will happen and if a different platform will save it. Fans just have to remain hopeful for the time being.