With Tracker losing three main cast members before season 3, there is potential for new — and even some familiar faces — to join Justin Hartley‘s show.
Tracker, which debuted in 2024, introduced Us to survivalist Colter Shaw (Hartley) as he travels the country to help find missing people, track down information on criminal cases and more. The procedural quickly found success after being coined the most-watched broadcast premiere since NCIS’ final episode with Mark Harmon in September 2021. Its average viewership was reported to be 18.2 million per episode, according to Paramount+ and broadcast measurements.
Before Tracker returned for season 2, Robin Weigert exited the show. It was later confirmed that Abby McEnany and Eric Graise would be leaving the show as well. Executive producer Elwood Reid previously teased onscreen changes in the show’s future.
“I do think it’s evolving. If I can’t evolve those characters — Randy or Reenie or Bobby — they’re not just people that just pick up the phone and go, ‘OK, here is the answer.’ That’s when the show is phoning it in,” he explained to Us Weekly in May 2025. “The challenge is when you got to learn about them, which I thought was interesting. That’s the challenge of the show is not having it fall into a formula.”
Reid noted that they didn’t want Tracker to “fall into complacency.”
“The only rule I really have of the show is each week Colter is going to come to a new place and there’s going to be a new case. How he gets those answers and what he uses on the team, that’s all something that’s up for grabs,” Reid teased. “Meeting these [local] weird characters is something we’re going to try to do more of as the season goes on. Just Colter coming in and interacting with other characters. That’s fun to see Justin flex those muscles with really good guest cast members.”
Amid Tracker’s ongoing cast changes, Us has compiled a list of possible celebrities who should guest star on Hartley’s show — including many of his former costars:
Sofia Pernas
Tracker has already enlisted Hartley’s real-life wife in a guest star role, but there’s no better time than season 3 to increase Pernas’ involvement. With her character also being a rewardist, Billie should have her own spinoff show, but none of Us would say no to her being a main cast member on Tracker instead.
“She’s wonderful. I mean, if I had my choice, I’d spend every minute with her,” Hartley gushed to Us in 2024 after appearing in multiple projects with Pernas. “What’s really cool is when you meet someone that means so much to you, that you’re so proud to be with and so proud of, and just such a fan of, and to get to see her work, because she’s such a talented actor. She elevates scenes, and so it makes my job easier, actually. But yeah, it’s just wonderful to work with her.”
Jared Padalecki
With Jensen Ackles already on Tracker as Colter’s brother, why not complete the Supernatural brotherhood by having Padalecki on the hit CBS series as well?
Milo Ventimiglia
There are a few This Is Us alums that fans are hoping to see guest star on Tracker — starting with Ventimiglia.
“I watched Justin’s show last night too, and [I’m] super proud of him and Ken and Roxy Olin,” Ventimiglia told Us in February 2024. “I saw a lot of familiar This Is Us faces or names on the screen in the production end.”
Ventimiglia noted that he “thought the show was great” and Hartley had “a fun role,” adding, “Reuniting with him or anyone else from the cast — or anyone from any number of films I’ve done in the last 28, 29 years — I’m sure that’d be a blast.”
Tom Welling
Welling and Hartley haven’t worked together since their days on Smallville, so it feels like all of Us are due to see them on screen again.
Mandy Moore
After playing Hartley’s mother on This Is Us, a reunion on Tracker would allow them to interact more closely. Hartley previously suggested on a July 2025 episode of the “This Was Us” podcast that he and Moore play love interests.
Sophia Bush
This Is Us didn’t give Us enough time with Hartley and Bush as costars, which is why Tracker could be the perfect second act.
Wilson Bethel
Does anyone else remember when Hartley played Wade’s older brother on Hart of Dixie — or is it just Us? Tracker would be the perfect opportunity to reunite Hartley and Bethel in an episode set in the wilderness.
“As it happens, I also am a lifelong backpacker,” Bethel exclusively told Us in July 2025. “And I love the idea of being deeply immersed in nature and having that be a fundamental part of your life. That’s something I totally understand.”
Sterling K. Brown
Brown is booked and busy with Hulu’s Paradise but perhaps he could find time to make an appearance on Tracker to reunite with Hartley after This Is Us.
Max Thieriot
With both Tracker and Fire Country on CBS, that would create a prime opportunity for a crossover.
“For sure. That could be fun. We haven’t had any of those conversations, but I get that,” Thieriot told Us in April 2024. “They’re not far from us [on CBS], so it wouldn’t be too hard to do logistically in person. But there’s a lot of people way above my pay grade that make a lot of those decisions. But I think it would be fun.”
Chrissy Metz
Jesse Lee Soffer
Following the end of FBI: International, Soffer is now in the market for a new series regular role. Tracker, meanwhile, is now in need of a few new members for Colter’s team and who better than a character played by Soffer?
