There was some terrible news for Jared Padalecki earlier this year. Walker was canceled after four seasons as The CW continues to shake things up with the Nexstar takeover.
Padalecki isn’t staying out of work, though. He has landed a three-episode guest arc in a CBS drama. This could turn into his own show again, making it clear that he isn’t quite done with broadcast just yet.
Jared Padalecki joins the cast of Fire Country
Padalecki will head back up to Vancouver very soon. He spent 15 years filming Supernatural up there, and it was the trips back and forth between Vancouver and Austin that led to him (and Jensen Ackles) deciding it was time to bring Supernatural to an end. He then quickly landed a leading role in an Austin-based series to allow him to have the best of both worlds.
Well, he’s heading back up to Vancouver, but this will be for a short stint. He’ll be in Fire Country Season 3 for a three-episode guest arc.
Padalecki’s character, Camden Casey, has been described as a maverick. He also has a “surfer swagger,” and he will see Bode’s raw talent for firefighting. This could lead to Bode finding a place with the California fire department so that he can continue his father’s legacy. It could also hinder the man, as it turns out that while everyone wants Bode to follow the path, Camden wants to pull him out of it and follow gut instincts.
"Camden is more Bode than anyone else on our show. I think they’re twin flames and similar and Camden’s able to encourage, draw out maybe the dangerous side of Bode, but he sees the talent and leans into it. He doesn’t try to put lightning back into the bottle."
It turns out that Padalecki’s role has been written specifically for him. He is friends with Max Thieriot, who is the star of Fire Country.
Jared Padalecki could get a Fire Country spin-off
There is a chance that Camden could end up being the lead character in a new spin-off series. The details of how that would work aren’t clear just yet. After all, I can’t see Padalecki choosing to go anywhere but Austin for filming full time while his children are still young.
It’s possible that something happens to Camden that leads to him heading out to Texas. This could lead to something similar to 911, where we got the Lone Star spin-off series.
The idea for the spin-off is still in the preliminary phases, though. Right now, the team will be working on the Sheriff Country spin-off, which will be part of the 2025–2026 TV season. CBS could be looking ahead to the 2026–2027 TV season with the Padalecki drama.