The CW’s Walker spinoff has officially found its lead — and it’s a pretty familiar face. On Monday, it was confirmed (via Variety) that Matt Barr, who currently portrays Hoyt Rawlins on Walker, will be portraying a new character of the same name on Walker: Independence, the potential upcoming prequel series that recently got a pilot order from The CW. Barr is also known for his work on Valor and Hatfields & McCoys.
Described as a good looking, slippery rogue, Hoyt is a gambler and an outlaw who lays low in the town of Independence. Cocky, confident, brash and a bit foolhardy, he’s been having an on-again, off-again affair with rancher’s daughter Lucia Montero – but after meeting Abby, Hoyt’s wandering eye appears to have frozen in place. Well aware that Abby is a straight arrow, Hoyt realizes he might have a lot to learn from her, someone who might help him step away from the life of an outlaw.
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Walker: Independence is set in the late 1800s and follows Abby Walker, an affluent Bostonian whose husband is murdered before her eyes while on their journey out West. On her quest for revenge, Abby crosses paths with Hoyt Rawlins, a lovable rogue in search of purpose. Abby and Hoyt’s journey takes them to Independence, Texas, where they encounter diverse, eclectic residents running from their own troubled pasts and chasing their dreams. 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.
The Walker: Independence pilot will be written by Walker executive producer Seamus Fahey, based on a story by him and series creator Anna Fricke. Executive producers will also include Dan Lin and Lindsey Liberatore.
“With Supernatural, it was Jensen and me for so many years,” Walker star Jared Padalecki told ComicBook.com last year. “But for a lot of those years, it was just Jensen and me. So, Walker, I’m more, maybe, the solo lead, but we have such an awesome and extensive cast. I mean, we have Lindsay Morgan, who’s my work partner on the show. Then we have Keegan Allen, who’s my brother on the show. I have kids, I have parents. We have the captain of the Rangers. And so, there are a lot more ways to flesh out this world that aren’t just through the eyes of Cordell Walker, which has been nice.”
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