Walker First Look: Jared Padalecki Transforms Into Texas Ranger

Sam Winchester may be gone, but Walker is just getting started — and we finally have the photographic evidence to prove it.

The first image of Supernatural vet Jared Padalecki donning his Texas Ranger costume for the upcoming CW reboot leaked onto the Interwebs late Friday, sending social media into a tizzy. The image features JPad, who’s also sporting a shorter ‘do for his new role, alongside guest star Deke Anderson on set in Austin, Texas. The photo appears to have originated on Anderson’s IMDb page.

The reboot stars Padalecki as Cordell Walker, “a widower and father of two with his own moral code who returns home to Austin after being undercover for two years, only to discover there’s harder work to be done at home,” per the official synopsis. “He’ll attempt to reconnect with his children, navigate clashes with his family and find unexpected common ground with his new partner (one of the first women in Texas Rangers history), while growing increasingly suspicious about the circumstances surrounding his wife’s death.”

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The cast also includes Keegan Allen (Pretty Little Liars) as Walker’s younger brother Liam, a gay conservative who was just promoted to assistant district attorney. Meanwhile, Lindsey Morgan (The 100) is Walker’s new partner Micki, and Coby Bell (The Gifted) is Captain Larry James, the only African American man in the Texas Rangers’ Austin headquarters. Mitch Pileggi — who recurred as Sam and Dean’s maternal grandfather on Supernatural — will take on the role of Walker’s conservative, tough-as-nails father Bonham. Additionally, Padalecki’s real-life wife Genevieve Padalecki (Supernatural, Wildfire) recurs as Walker’s late spouse, who appears via flashbacks.

Walker premieres Thursday, Jan. 21 at 8/7c.