Tracker Officially Cancels Devastating Cast Change For Season 4

Published Sep 2, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT Ana Dumaraog is a Writer and Editor at Screen Rant, where she expertly covers Network TV offerings, among other things She has spearheaded the effort to make the site an authority on broadcast shows, initially starting with The Big Bang Theory franchise, NCIS, and One Chicago before taking on the specialization in general. Ana has also covered a wide-spread of topics in the past — from franchises like, the MCU and Star Wars, to classic TV favorites, such as Frasier and MASH. Ana brings clarity and enthusiasm to every story she tackles—whether reporting on new releases or offering deep dives into fan-favorite franchises. Her coverage translates complex entertainment developments into engaging, audience-focused content. Luckily, Tracker has officially cancelled a devastating cast change that could have changed season 4 significantly. There are still a few weeks left before CBS’s complete fall 2026 programming debuts on primetime, but marketing for the upcoming season has already started. The Eye Network has been ramping up its promotional efforts for its returning project, and Tracker being one of the most-watched projects in its lineup, it makes sense that there’s considerable interest in knowing what’s next for Justin Hartley’s Colter Shaw. Tracker season 3 ended the show’s major mystery involving the death of Ashton Shaw. However, it also left new plot seeds for its future, including the revelation of Colter’s secret home base, although admittedly, it’s difficult to imagine Hartley’s hero giving up his mobile lifestyle. A much bigger twist came via Russell Shaw’s confusing decision to follow McIntyre’s orders — something that originally set up Jensen Ackles’ exit from Tracker, albeit even temporarily. Russell’s Season 3 Decision Could Have Temporarily Written Him Out Of Tracker MovieStillsDB Russell’s unexpected decision to follow McIntyre’s bidding stemmed from learning about a dark secret from Colter’s past, with theories positing that their father did something sinister to his younger brother. Instead of looping Hartley’s character, however, the older Shaw decided to take matters into his own hands, hoping that the matter would never come out. Given how the narrative is set up, not to mention everything else happening in the series, there was no urgency to resolve the matter. CBS could have easily shelved it for a while, writing out Ackles’ character in the meantime. For what it’s worth, the brothers have largely lived separate lives for the most part of their adulthood. The separation was motivated by the conspiracy theory about their father’s death, and getting to the bottom of it motivated them to pair up. Now that Ashton’s demise has been cleared up, the procedural could have focused on other stories in the meantime. Behind the camera, Tracker season 4’s production move from Canada to LA could have also hindered Ackles’ return, considering his starring role in The Boys’ spinoff, Vought Rising. Jensen Ackles’ Russell Is Officially Returning In Tracker Season 4 Given all of these, it’s a pleasant surprise to find out that Ackles is coming back to Tracker season 4. Hartley himself confirmed this, which means that Russell’s comeback is already set in stone. Subsequently, Ackles shared an image during his time on set, suggesting that his character will appear fairly early on in the upcoming cycle. Whether his return will immediately address the lingering questions about his secret mission is yet to be known. That being said, considering previous concerns about his potential extended absence from Tracker, knowing that he has a set appearance is already a treat. For context, Ackles has appeared in every single season of the CBS show thus far, but his prominence was significantly increased in season 3, when he appeared multiple times instead of his usual single-episode cameos. This gave the impression that Tracker might be working to gradually incorporate him more as a series regular than a guest star. So when season 4 ended with his, frankly, puzzling decision, it seemed like a good way to explain his possible prolonged absence. In any case, considering the success of Tracker, the chances of it coming back for season 5 are high, allowing Ackles to eventually return then. Fortunately, the wait to see him again isn't going to be that long. Enjoy ScreenRant's primetime coverage? Click below to sign up for my weekly Network TV newsletter (make sure to check "Network TV" in your preferences) and get the inside scoop from actors and showrunners on your favorite series. SIGN UP NOW! Release Date February 11, 2024 Network CBS Showrunner Elwood Reid Writers Ben H. Winters, Hilary Weisman Graham Creator(s) Ben H. Winters