Long before Connor Storrie became one half of one of streaming’s most talked-about romance pairings in Heated Rivalry, the actor had already landed a major opportunity inside another massive television franchise. Now, with his star rapidly rising, fans are beginning to wonder whether Criminal Minds: Evolution could soon become the latest series to capitalize on the growing phenomenon surrounding both Storrie and his Heated Rivalry costar Hudson Williams.

According to showrunner Erica Messer, that possibility was not only discussed internally—it was actively explored.

“Trust me, we looked into it,” Messer revealed in a recent interview ahead of the season 19 premiere. “We were like, ‘Is he available?’”

The answer, however, turned out to be no.

Williams, whose breakout role as disciplined hockey superstar Shane Hollander transformed him into one of television’s fastest-rising young actors over the past year, reportedly could not make the scheduling work due to production commitments tied to Heated Rivalry season two.

“He’s shooting the second season of Heated Rivalry in August and that’s when we would need them,” Messer explained. “We tried.”

Even without Williams joining the procedural drama, the connection between the two hit series has already become a major topic among fans online. Storrie, 26, is set to appear in a season-long arc on Criminal Minds: Evolution, a role he filmed before the explosive success of Heated Rivalry dramatically increased his profile across the entertainment industry.

That timing has now created an unexpected crossover moment between two very different fandoms: the loyal audience of the long-running crime procedural franchise and the rapidly expanding fanbase surrounding the adaptation of Rachel Reid’s bestselling Game Changers novels.

Originally premiering on Crave in late 2025 before expanding to a wider audience through HBO Max earlier this year, Heated Rivalry quickly evolved from niche romance adaptation into a full-scale streaming sensation. The series follows rival professional hockey players Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, whose fierce public rivalry masks an intense secret relationship developing behind the scenes.

Fans immediately embraced both the adaptation and its central cast, particularly the chemistry between Williams and Storrie. Within weeks of release, clips from the series spread aggressively across social media platforms, helping transform the relatively unknown actors into breakout stars almost overnight.

Industry observers have pointed to the show as one of the clearest recent examples of fandom-driven streaming success. What began as a highly anticipated adaptation among romance readers quickly became a broader cultural phenomenon fueled by online edits, fan theories, viral scenes, and growing mainstream media attention.

Now, that momentum is spilling into the actors’ other projects as well.

For Criminal Minds: Evolution, landing Storrie before his popularity exploded may ultimately prove to be an enormous advantage. According to Messer, his role in season 19 extends far beyond a simple guest appearance.

“Connor gets introduced in episode four,” she teased. “His story does have something to do with the big bad of the season.”

While she avoided revealing major spoilers, Messer strongly hinted that Storrie’s character will become deeply connected to the season’s central antagonist, suggesting viewers should expect a storyline with long-term narrative significance rather than a one-off procedural appearance.

That development arrives during a pivotal moment for the Criminal Minds franchise itself. After years off the air, the revival series Criminal Minds: Evolution successfully reintroduced the Behavioral Analysis Unit to audiences while modernizing the show’s serialized storytelling structure. Unlike earlier seasons of the original series, which often focused heavily on standalone weekly cases, the revival places greater emphasis on long-form psychological arcs and recurring villains.

Season 19 appears poised to continue that direction.

According to the official synopsis, the new installment will “push the elite profilers to their limits” as they investigate disturbing new cases tied to the evolving aftermath of Elias Voit’s crimes. Voit, played by Zach Gilford, emerged as one of the franchise’s most unsettling modern antagonists, and the upcoming season reportedly introduces yet another dangerous figure known only as “The Fan.”

Messer described the new season as exploring themes of transition and emotional rebuilding following the chaos of previous storylines.

“It is this idea of new beginnings,” she explained. “It’s been a year in our story world. So there are new challenges that they’re faced with — but there’s also a little bit of hope in that.”

The combination of psychological horror, serialized tension, and emotional recovery has become one of the defining characteristics of the reboot era, helping Criminal Minds: Evolution distinguish itself from the earlier procedural format that originally made the franchise famous.

At the same time, the show continues relying heavily on ensemble casting. In addition to Storrie’s multi-episode arc, season 19 will feature appearances from actors including Clark Gregg, Yvette Nicole Brown, Jeri Ryan, Justin Kirk, Dash Mihok, and Cress Williams.

Still, much of the online attention surrounding the upcoming season currently centers on Storrie’s involvement and the behind-the-scenes revelation that producers attempted to bring Hudson Williams into the franchise as well.

For fans of Heated Rivalry, the idea of the pair appearing together in a darker procedural setting sparked immediate excitement online. Some viewers began speculating about potential character dynamics the actors could have explored outside the romantic world of hockey drama, while others interpreted the attempted casting as evidence of how rapidly the duo’s popularity has grown within the industry.

It also highlights the increasingly interconnected nature of modern television fandoms. In previous decades, actors often built careers gradually across multiple projects before achieving mainstream recognition. Today, however, a single breakout streaming role can instantly elevate performers into highly sought-after casting targets across genres.

That appears to be exactly what has happened with Williams and Storrie.

The pair’s public visibility has expanded dramatically over the past year, including red carpet appearances, viral interviews, magazine coverage, and growing international fan support. Their attendance at the Met Gala earlier this year further confirmed how quickly they have transitioned from rising actors into recognizable pop culture figures.

At the same time, both actors have remained relatively careful about maintaining professional boundaries in public appearances, frequently emphasizing their individual careers outside the intense fandom culture surrounding Heated Rivalry.

For now, scheduling conflicts may have prevented a reunion on Criminal Minds: Evolution. But Messer’s comments suggest the production was more than aware of the opportunity.

And given how aggressively both actors’ careers are accelerating, industry observers suspect it may only be a matter of time before another major project attempts to bring them together again—whether inside the Criminal Minds universe or somewhere entirely unexpected.