Padalecki also opened up about possibly reteaming with Jensen Ackles and Eric Kripke on 'The Boys.'
Jared Padalecki is saying good riddance to The CW following the cancellation of his latest show, Walker.
The longtime CW star -- who previously starred on Gilmore Girls and Supernatural -- opened up in a new Variety interview about his displeasure with the network that recently, and unceremoniously, canceled the modern reboot of Walker, Texas Ranger, on which he also served as an executive producer.
The show was ordered straight to series in 2020, with Padalecki taking on the role of Texas Ranger Cordell Walker -- following 15 seasons hunting Supernatural's monsters as Sam Winchester.
While the show performed well enough for the network to order a prequel series, Walker: Independence, in 2022, it was abruptly canceled earlier this month -- just before their fourth season finale aired. That meant the Walker writers were unable to plan for the episode to double as a series finale, meaning several cliffhangers were left up in the air.
For Padalecki, the news was a heartbreaker. "I really would've done the show forever. I just loved my character. I loved that I got to be in Austin with my family. I loved my cast and loved our crew," he tells Variety.
However, the actor also got candid about some of the behind-the-scenes maneuverings that he felt were the real reason the show got canned.
Following the resignation of longtime chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz in October 2022, shifts in CW leadership have coincided with several significant changes to the network's programming. Along with Walker, Superman & Lois and All American: Homecoming are also set to conclude within the next few months -- leaving All American as the only remaining legacy series that's been renewed beyond the current season.
"I feel like The CW that I was a part of last year is not The CW that I was a part of under Mark Pedowitz for that entire, almost 20-year stretch," Padalecki explains in the new interview. "They’re just changing the network around, where it’s not really going to be a TV network as much as it’s going to be, 'Here’s something fun for an hour that you'll never watch again, but hopefully you watch it. And it's cheap!'"
"I hate to say that, but I’m just being honest. I mean, f**k it. They can’t fire me again," he added. "I'm just being brutally honest. I think it felt to me like they were looking for really easy, cheap content that they could fill up time with."
For years after its 2006 inception, The CW focused its primetime programming on teen and family-centric shows that were popular for its predecessors, The WB and UPN. In addition to Gilmore Girls and Supernatural, standout hits included One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, The Vampire Diaries, Riverdale and the DC Comics' Arrow-verse of shows.
However, programming seemed to shift as those shows tapered off in recent years.
"Maybe this is what ultimately was our downfall, but we weren’t ever seeking like, 'Oh, here’s the explosion. Oh, here’s the wild cliffhanger where the aliens come down. Oh, here's the next hot reality star that comes in and takes their clothes off,'" Padalecki says of Walker. "It was never about sensationalism... It was an exploration of everything that life could have to offer — heartbreak, disappointment, shame, love, becoming an empty nester — and I'm worse than heartbroken that we are not going to get to explore all those storylines."
As he looks toward his next steps, however, Padalecki offers a tease that will thrill his fans -- speaking to rumors that he might reunite with his Supernatural co-star, Jensen Ackles, on on Prime Video's popular superhero series The Boys -- which Supernatural creator Eric Kripke also developed and executive produces.
"I'll say this: Kripke and I texted today," he shares. "It's not been written yet, but I think he was saying [the final season] doesn't even film until 2025. So yeah, I’m going to go play in Kripke’s newest playground."
"I had a great time the first time around, so I'm sure I'll have a great time here again. I love the show. I think it's hilarious and exciting... I love Jensen and Eric Kripke," Padalecki says. "So working with him on a show that I enjoy, I'm like, 'Yeah, when do I fly out?'"
RELATED CONTENT:
