Jensen Ackles is set to play Colter Shaw’s mysterious brother, Russell.
There are only four episodes left in the first season of Tracker on CBS, and at least one of those episodes is going to include a massive guest star. It was recently revealed that Manifest star Melissa Roxburgh would be joining Tracker at some point in the final episodes as Colter Shaw’s little sister, Dory, who has only been seen as a kid in flashbacks. Those flashbacks also included Colter’s older brother, Russell, who may or may not have killed their father. On Thursday, star Justin Hartley revealed that a certain good friend and Supernatural alum had been tapped to play the adult version of Russell.

Jensen Ackles, best known for playing Dean on Supernatural, has taken on the role of Russell Shaw in Tracker. It’s unclear which episode will feature Ackles, or how many episodes he will appear in, but a video from Hartley on Thursday afternoon confirmed the casting for fans.
“Just wanted to get out here real quick and, first of all, thank everyone for watching the show,” Hartley says in the video. “We’ve had a great time making it, it’s had a great response. And we’re just thrilled, we’re over the moon. And I have a little bit of news for you. We’ve been talking about Russell Shaw, my brother, all season, this family drama that’s been going on between Colter and Russell. We finally came up with what I think is the perfect casting choice. This person knocks it out of the park every time”

Ackels commented on Hartley’s post and said, “I had too much fun mixing it up with you, Hartley. Let’s do it again.” This could allude to the character returning in Season 2, which has already been ordered by CBS.
Russell Shaw hasn’t been featured on-screen since the Tracker series premiere, but his presence has been an important part of Colter’s story. Early on in the season, Colter received numerous phone calls from a mysterious number that he later revealed belongs to Russell. His mother has told him to continue cutting off all contact with Russell, but Colter has seemed to be more drawn to his past as the series has progressed.

With both Roxburgh and Ackles now part of the cast, it looks like a Shaw family reunion could be taking shape as Tracker Season 1 comes to a close