It has been an eventful few weeks for television star Jensen Ackles. The actor recently returned for the third season of CBS drama Tracker, just weeks after his Prime Video series, Countdown, was canceled. In Tracker Season 3, Episode 2, titled “Leverage,” fans saw Ackles’ character Russell team up with his brother, Colter Shaw (played by Justin Hartley), to tackle another complex situation. While Russell might need to lay low for a while, Ackles could soon be making his next appearance on television — this time through a revival.
One Tree Hill was widely regarded as a defining teen drama of the early 2000s, dominating the television landscape at the time. Over a decade after the original WB series ended, news of a revival broke last year, sending fans into a frenzy over a return to the small North Carolina town. The reboot will feature the return of Hilarie Burton Morgan and Sophia Bush, both reprising their iconic roles while taking on significant behind-the-scenes responsibilities.
Joining them behind the camera will be Danneel Ackles, who played Rachel Gatina in the original series. Alongside her husband, Jensen Ackles, she will serve as an executive producer through their company, Chaos Machine. With both their production company and their involvement playing a central role in the revival, many have wondered what part, if any, Jensen Ackles might play on screen.
In a September 2025 interview with Variety, Ackles addressed the question directly. “She’d probably just have to say, ‘You’re doing this,’ and that would be the end of it,” he said, referring to Danneel. While Ackles is confident the revival doesn’t necessarily need him on screen, he expressed enthusiasm for the project. “I think we’ve got all the elements, all the players, in place for that to be a fantastic show,” he said. “I’m really excited for what [Danneel Ackles] and the lovely ladies of ‘One Tree Hill’ have put together. It’s pretty fascinating, and they’ve been working really hard on it, and I think Netflix is going to have quite a smash on their hands.”
Could Jensen Ackles Get His Own Show Within the ‘Tracker’ Universe?
While fans await the One Tree Hill reboot, Ackles remains busy with other projects. He is set to appear in the fifth and final season of The Boys and the new Prime Video drama Vought Rising, a spin-off where he reprises his role as Soldier Boy alongside Aya Cash as Stormfront.
There has also been speculation about a potential Tracker spin-off centered on Russell Shaw, especially since Ackles is currently between projects after the cancellation of Countdown. Showrunner Elwood Reid weighed in on the possibility, saying:
“We’re cautious. ‘Tracker’ is Justin’s show, and we never want to do anything that cheapens it. That said, Russell’s military background opens the door to a very different kind of series — one that plays to Jensen’s strengths. We didn’t even ask for permission [to include Russell’s speech in Episode 2]. We just put it in there. As the kids say, I’m manifesting it. It could be a lot of fun if the timing ever lines up.”
