Matt Barr to reprise his role as Hoyt Rawlins in Walker prequel series... kind of

The CW's Walker spin-off is coming together.

EW has confirmed that Walker: Independence has cast Matt Barr to reprise his role as Hoyt Rawlins… kind of.

Walker: Independence is a prequel series to Walker, which is currently airing its second season on the CW. The spin-off is a one-hour drama set in the late 1800s that follows Abby Walker, an affluent Bostonian whose husband is murdered before her eyes while journeying West. As she seeks revenge, Abby crosses paths with the lovable rogue Hoyt Rawlins (Barr). The pair end up in Independence, Texas — a town where nothing is what it seems — where they encounter an eclectic group of residents running from their own troubled pasts and chasing their dreams.

As Walker fans know, Barr's present-day Hoyt Rawlins was Cordell's (Jared Padalecki) best friend and was killed during the flagship series' first season. The link between present-day Hoyt and 1800s Hoyt is yet to be explained, but what we do know is that 1800s Hoyt is a gambler and an outlaw who lays low in Independence. The cocky Hoyt has 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. In Abby, Hoyt sees someone he can learn from who might help him step away from the life of an outlaw.

Deadline Hollywood first reported Barr's casting.

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