The CW Orders Pilots for 'Walker', 'Supernatural' Prequels

Jared Padalecki (left) as Sam and Jensen Ackles as Dean in The CW's 'Supernatural'
Jared Padalecki (left) as Sam and Jensen Ackles as Dean in The CW's 'Supernatural' (Image credit: Robert Falconer/The CW)

The CW has ordered pilots for prequels to Supernatural and Walker. The Winchesters is the story of John and Mary, parents of Dean and Sam from Supernatural. Dean (Jensen Ackles) is the narrator. The CW describes the project as “the epic, untold love story of how John met Mary and how they put it all on the line to not only save their love, but the entire world.”

Ackles played Dean on Supernatural and Jared Padalecki played Sam. The show went for 15 seasons and wrapped in 2020.

Walker: Independence is described as “a Walker origin story.” Set in the late 1800s, it follows Abby Walker, a rich Bostonian whose husband is murdered in front of her while on their journey out west. Seeking revenge, she crosses paths with Hoyt Rawlins, a lovable rogue. They end up in Independence, Texas. 

“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,” said The CW. 

Jared Padalecki, star of Walker, is an executive producer. Walker, a spinoff of Walker, Texas Ranger, premiered in January 2021.

The CW has also ordered a pilot for Gotham Knights, which sees Bruce Wayne’s adopted son forge an unlikely alliance with the children of Batman’s enemies when they are all framed for killing the Caped Crusader. The team of mismatched fugitives becomes the Gotham Knights. 

Greg Berlanti is behind the project. 

The CW also ordered six additional episodic scripts for Zorro, and will determine the fate of that project at a later point. The series is described as “a young Latinx woman seeking vengeance for her father's murder joins a secret society and adopts the outlaw persona of Zorro.” ■ 

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.