Jared Padalecki Gets 'Brutally Honest' About The CW After Walker Ends: 'They Can't Fire Me Again'

Jared Padalecki is sharing his feelings about The CW in the wake of his show Walker’s cancellation.

In a new interview with Variety, the 41-year-old actor revealed that he saw several early indications that the network was changing ahead of the cancellation of his series, a reboot of the Chuck Norris-led Walker, Texas Ranger.

“I feel like The CW that I was a part of last year is not The CW that I was a part of under [former chairman and CEO] Mark Pedowitz for that entire, almost 20-year stretch [that I worked with the network],” he said.

Padalecki, who also starred on Gilmore Girls and Supernatural on The WB before the network became The CW, said he was told by the network's parent company Nexstar that they were “going in a different direction," moving away from scripted television in favor of mixed programming.

“They’re just changing the network around, where it’s not really going to be a TV network as much as it’s going to be, ‘Here’s something fun for an hour that you’ll never watch again, but hopefully you watch it. And it’s cheap!,’ ” Padalecki said.

"And I hate to say that, but I’m just being honest,” he continued. “I mean, f--- it. They can’t fire me again. I’m just being brutally honest. I think it felt to me like they were looking for really easy, cheap content that they could fill up time with.”

PEOPLE is out to The CW and Nexstar for comment.

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Padalecki announced the cancellation of Walker in an Instagram post on May 21, writing that the show would “not be airing on CW for a fifth season.”

“It’s a tough piece of news to be sure, but we are SO thankful for the #WalkerFamily that has been built, both on set and off," added the actor, who also executive produced the show.

"It has been a unique honor to be a part of the cast and crew (and fandom!) that helped #Walker tell the stories that we told. I will forever smile on the years I got to spend with the cast and crew and studio and network and fandom that made this all possible. Til we ride again. 🤠❤️" he concluded.

As for what is next for Padalecki, he told Variety he's currently focused on “hanging out with family and seeing friends,” though he hasn’t completely ruled out the idea of producing and/or starring in another show.

“I kind of said this at the end of Supernatural: I wasn’t interested in acting [again], per se,” he said. “I do love producing. I love the production aspect, and I love the problem-solving that comes with it.” 

Padalecki added, “So there are a few things that my wife and I are in the process of developing that I would love to produce and act in. But beyond that, I still feel like I haven’t grieved the loss of Walker, so I don’t know yet if I trust my feelings.”