Tracker has made some big cast changes ahead of returning for Season 3 in the fall of the 2025 TV schedule, with the departures of Abby McEnany and Eric Graise leaving Justin Hartley and Fiona Rene as the only two series regulars left. Fortunately, cast cuts don’t mean familiar faces can’t return, and Countdown‘s Jensen Ackles has confirmed that he’ll be back as Russell Shaw for Season 3. With that good news, I can’t help but think it’d be great to see Hartley as a guest star on Ackles’ Countdown if it returns for Season 2 on Prime Video.
Jensen Ackles’ Return To Countdown
The timing couldn’t be better for the official news that Jensen Ackles will reprise his role as Russell Shaw opposite Justin Hartley as Colter Shaw, as the Supernatural vet recently shared what it’s like working with the This Is Us alum. No details are available about Russell’s next appearance other than that filming so early likely means he’ll appear sooner rather than later in Season 3… and Russell will still have a beard, based on the fun video. Check out Ackles’ announcement:
Well, credit to Jensen Ackles for mastering the art of dropping news without giving away any spoilers, because he didn’t even say the word “Tracker” in his video! Any eagle-eyed viewer can be left with no doubt, however. Even if we considered the possibility that Ackles would somehow have taken on a totally different character on a different show who just also happens to be named Russell, the actor does slightly pan the camera over to see Hartley’s “Colter” trailer.
Without much to go on to speculate, I can’t help but also note that Ackles made sure to shout out the latest episode of Countdown, available streaming now with a Prime Video subscription. While the action-packed drama has yet to be renewed for Season 2, I think Justin Hartley needs to make a guest appearance if it does.
Could Justin Hartley Appear On Countdown Season 2?
Considering that Countdown kicked off by introducing and then killing a character played by Milo Ventimiglia, the This Is Us connection alone would make an appearance by Justin Hartley pretty fun. That’s not to say he’d need to be killed off, but even a cameo might be enough. Plus, Ackles and Hartley are both alums of long-running shows on The WB/The CW. Hartley played Oliver Queen on Smallville, while Ackles had stints on Dawson’s Creek and Smallville before landing his beloved role as Dean Winchester on Supernatural.
Clearly, the two have both come a long way from their days as CW stars, and with Jensen Ackles appearing on Tracker, why not Hartley on Countdown? Ackles seemingly has a packed schedule with Countdown, his The Boys spinoff, and now dropping in and out of Tracker from time to time. Surely Hartley could have a break in his Tracker calendar for even a tiny cameo, right?
Well, I can always hope! For now, fans of Jensen Ackles can just cross their fingers that Countdown is renewed for a second season, while Tracker viewers can keep counting down the days until the CBS drama returns in October.
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