Jared Padalecki currently stars in Walker, The CW's reboot of Walker, Texas Ranger, but would legendary action star Chuck Norris ever make a cameo? For 15 seasons, Padalecki became a big name by playing the frequently dead Sam Winchester on Supernatural, then not long after the Winchester journey ended, he pivoted over to leading Walker. Since both shows are CW properties, that move makes sense, as both parties would naturally want to continue what's been a lucrative relationship for all involved.
Walker has been far from a hit with critics, a switch from the often positive reviews Supernatural garnered, but the reboot has succeeded where it matters most, with viewers. Ratings have been good enough to earn Walker a second season, which debuts on October 28, 2021, and Padalecki seems to have another hit on his hands. That's come as a surprise to some, who wondered if anyone could successfully take over the Walker role from the iconic martial arts legend Norris, who it was originally written for.
As different as Padalecki's Walker show is from Walker, Texas Ranger, many would still love to see Norris appear in some capacity on the reboot, due to how closely tied he is to the Cordell Walker character. No plans have been announced for him take part as of yet, and while it's certainly not impossible to imagine happening, Norris heading to Padalecki's Texas doesn't seem likely.
That's not to assert that Chuck Norris has any deep-seated issues with Jared Padalecki's Walker reboot, which notably changes Walker being a lone wolf hero. While Norris has never spoken publicly about the new show, Padalecki revealed during promotions that Chuck Norris had actually had to given his blessing before the reboot could move forward, due to having a stake in the property. So clearly, Norris had no issues with the Walker reboot big enough to want to put a stop to it. At the same time, Norris is 81-years-old, and is unofficially retired from acting.
The martial arts legend has only taken on three roles since 2010, those being in The Expendables 2, on ABC sitcom The Goldbergs, and CBS' Hawaii Five-0. It's unlikely Norris would want to interrupt his mostly quiet semi-retired life just for a cameo opposite Padalecki's Walker. In addition to Norris' advanced age and inactive acting career being factors, the new Walker is a very different show than the original Walker, Texas Ranger. It's much more serious and melodramatic, and is more of a police procedural than an action show. Padalecki's Walker doesn't even use martial arts on bad guys. Norris' large screen presence would probably just serve to distract from the reboot, and disrupt the story being told.