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As fans eagerly await the season 10 premiere of Hallmark Channel’s hit series “When Calls the Heart,” Erin Krakow wants fans to know all is well in Hope Valley, the fictional town where the drama is set.
Fans have been abuzz online in recent days over rumors of possible casting changes and storylines. On March 14, 2023, Hallmark’s release of “key art,” which is like a movie poster, had fans debating about the secret meaning of certain design elements, including what some thought was a tear streaming down Krakow’s face.
The actress popped into her Instagram comments to address specific concerns shared by fans about her co-star Chris McNally, who plays her new fiancé in the series, assuring fans that he’ll be back for the new season, which premieres on July 30. Meanwhile, one of her past love interests on the show has confirmed he has moved on to a new series.
Erin Krakow Shuts Down Rumor About Co-Star Chris McNally Leaving
When Krakow shared the poster image for season 10 on Instagram and shared the tagline, “Good things come to those who hope,” Hearties — the nickname for the show’s die-hard fans — were quick to post their predictions about what it might be foreshadowing. The poster only features Krakow, who plays lead character Elizabeth Thatcher Thornton, with the iconic Hope Valley church and landscape transposed into her hair. Some fans worried that the light reflecting on her face was a tear, indicating more sadness for her widowed character.
In the season nine finale, after Lucas Bouchard — played by McNally — left town to clear his head, he proposed to Elizabeth with help from her little boy, Jack, named after her late husband Jack Thornton, played by Daniel Lissing until his character died in a mining accident in season 5. But some Hearties expressed worry that Lucas was not included in the poster and that Elizabeth looks so pensive, possibly signaling trouble ahead.
In the comments of Krakow’s post, one fan wrote, “The sentiment on the poster is lovely and so is Elizabeth. I believe this is the first time since he came on the show that Lucas is not in the poster.😢”
That prompted another fan to reply, “That’s what worries me..@chrismcnally .it’s been excluded from everything.I have a bad feeling…it’s going to be a huge disappointment.😢”
One fan decided to directly ask Krakow about the swirling rumors that McNally, who hasn’t posted anything about season 10 in his own social media feeds, might leave the show, resulting in Lucas breaking Elizabeth’s heart.
The fan wrote, “Question: online talk that Chris McNally is leaving the show .. is it true? Claims based on his lack of interaction/promotion of anything WCTH, lack of new Lucas in any promotional content, & completely MIA during filming!”
Krakow jumped into her Instagram comments to put an end to the rumors.
She wrote, “👋🏼 @chrismcnally isn’t leaving @wcth_tv, and since we shared many scenes together I can tell you he was definitely not MIA during filming. I’m sure there will be more of/from all your favorite characters/actors as we get closer to our premiere date. 😊”
Former ‘WCTH’ Star Marcus Rosner Joins New Hallmark Series
Meanwhile, one former potential suitor of Elizabeth’s who won’t be returning to “WCTH” is Charles Kensington, who was played by Marcus Rosner and left Hope Valley in its second season. His character was a longtime friend of Elizabeth, but things took a turn when he professed his love for her despite the fact she was in a relationship with Jack, played by Daniel Lissing.
When Elizabeth rejected Charles, he left Hope Valley heartbroken and has not appeared on the show since. And it’s unlikely he’ll return, since Rosner has joined the cast of Hallmark Channel’s new series, “Ride,” premiering on March 26.
The show is set in the fictional town of Canyon, Colorado, and centers around the McMurray family, who have deep roots in local ranching and the rodeo circuit, according to TV Insider. On March 15, Rosner posted a photo of himself as Austin McMurray, the eldest son of the family and a rodeo champion, whom he called “The Tom Brady of Bull Riding” in his post.
On March 11, Rosner shared with the British website Express that he has fond memories of working with Krakow on “WTCH.”
“Erin was the main person I was sharing scenes with even back then, in the second season of this long-running series,” Rosner said. “She sort of had this great leadership quality to her, she was just a wonderfully calm confident person that led with kindness. When you’re the star of the show you have a lot of power, especially in the atmosphere on set. She just dictated such a great atmosphere and that was something I always appreciated.”
Season 10 of “WCTH” premieres on July 30 and Hallmark has already announced there will also be a season 11 in 2024.
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