Jared Padalecki’s previous CW series Supernatural hasn’t had a spinoff make it to air (yet), but his show Walker may have better luck.

Despite putting a number of backdoor pilots into Supernatural over the years, sadly none of the character-based spinoffs made it past the pilot stage at the network. But now Padalecki’s Walker, the most-watched scripted show on the CW, is crafting a prequel that is set in 1800s Texas.

Padalecki will executive produce a Walker origin story entitled Walker: Independence, along with story co-writers Seamus Fahey (American Gods) and Anna Fricke (Valor, Dynasty). Both are Walker production alums.

The prequel is said to be set in the late 1800s, and will follow an affluent Bostonian named Abby Walker, whose husband is murdered in front of her while on their trek out West. Consumed by a need for vengeance, Abby crosses paths with Hoyt Rawlins, described as a “lovable rogue in search of a purpose” in the logline. The pair soon find themselves in Independence, Texas, where they encounter a diverse and eclectic cohort of citizens hiding from their demons and chasing their dreams, all while becoming agents of change themselves in the small town.

It is unclear if the 1800s’ Abby Walker and Hoyt Rawlins are related to the show’s current characters Abeline Walker (Molly Hagan) and her sons, Cordell (Padalecki) and Liam Walker (Keegan Allen), as well as Cordell’s best friend Hoyt Rawlins (Matt Barr).

The drama will be produced by CBS Studios, just like its predecessor. The show is a reboot of sorts of the Chuck Norris drama Walker: Texas Ranger, which aired for eight seasons on CBS.

Padalecki is obviously a fan of the plans to expand the Walker world. “There is so much space [for story],” he says. “So kudos to Anna and Seamus and the gang for coming up with this awesome idea.”

Walker is in its second season, and the storyline is about the rivalry between his character’s (Cordell Walker) family and that of the well-connected Davidsons. Walker: Independence would visit that feud at its origin. “With the prequel, we [see] how the Walkers became the Walkers, how the Davidsons became the Davidsons, and how they became our version of the Hatfields and McCoys…we go way back to the 19th century to meet the first Walker who shows up in [Texas] and see her journey into set her own path,” Padalecki told TV Insider.

“This is where I am from, and this is part of me, with all of its goods and bads,” he said. “I’m going to try and really accentuate the goods in my own life, acknowledge the bad, and move towards the former and away from the latter. So this is a love letter [to Texas]…we’ll get another sense of where Texas might have been a hundred-plus years ago and that’s going to be awesome,” he continued.

Walker was an instant breakout when it debuted in early 2021, quickly establishing itself as the CW’s most watched series and paving the way for the network to explore expanding the franchise.

While none of the Supernatural backdoor pilots has been picked up, there is a prequel of that show in the works at the network, the demon-hunting family’s origin story The Winchesters, produced and narrated by Padalecki’s on-screen brother Jensen Ackles, could join the Walker prequel on the schedule next year. Typically, new series announcements are made during the network upfronts in May.