‘Supernatural’ Star Jared Padalecki Insists His Cordell Walker Is Totally Different From Chuck Norris’s ‘Texas Ranger’

Jared Padalecki lined up his next job after Supernatural before he even finished filming the last season. Then the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic shut down Supernatural before the final two episodes. Padelcki returned to Vancouver in September to resume filming. Now he waits for his next show, a reboot of the Chuck Norris vehicle Walker, Texas Ranger. 

Padalecki was a guest on Michael Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast on Sept. 15. He answered some questions from Rosenbaum and fans about the upcoming Walker on The CW.

‘Walker’ was in flux as ‘Supernatural’ ended

The pandemic not only delayed the completion of Supernatural, but also the start of production on Walker. Padalecki must have recorded his interview with Rosenbaum earlier, but had a sense of shifting dates. 

“Before the pandemic, we were going to finish Supernatural on April 5th and then start Walker April 20th,” Padalecki said. “Obviously global pandemic that’s unlike anything we’ve ever seen for several generations. Right now, we’re set to finish Supernatural September 10th. We were supposed to start Walker on September 23 but that got pushed because we need more time to build I think. It’s going to be hopefully sometime in October we start in Austin.”

Jared Padalecki might not film a whole season of ‘Walker’

Because of the late start, Padalecki speculated that Walker may not even film a 13 episode season. They would be in good company though.

“I think because of everything going on, it will just depend,” Padalecki said. “I think that’s going to be at the mercy of a lot of different networks. ABC, Fox, CBS, NBC, CW, I feel like they’re all going to have to go, ‘Hey, guys. Let’s all agree on a 10 episode season for 2020, a COVID season. Let’s do a short season and get back to normal moving forward’ but God knows.”

Jared Padalecki is not playing the same Cordell Walker

Chuck Norris played Cordell Walker on his series. Padalecki also plays a Texas Ranger named Cordell Walker, but he says they are different characters.

“My Walker has zero to do with Chuck’s Walker,” Padalecki said. “I grew up in Texas and Walker, Texas Ranger was obviously a massive show. I watched it but this is a brand new character, brand new story and brand new era. Just a similar name. Cordell’s the new Walker, Texas Ranger, nothing to do with Chuck.”

Chuck Norris gave Jared Padalecki the OK

Padalecki said he’s heard from Norris’s camp, and it’s good news.

“I have not talked to him directly,” Padalecki said. “I guess our people have talked, whatever that means. He had to give his blessing because he still co-owned the rights to the story, the product. So he was part of the EP [executive producer] group and he had some ownership in Walker, Texas Ranger. So we had to get his blessing to create a new version of it. I know we have his blessing but I don’t know what his involvement will or won’t be.”