‘Y: Marshals’ New Trailer Has Us Seriously Worried About the Fate of This ‘Yellowstone’ Dutton

Well, folks, it finally happened! CBS dropped an official teaser trailer for the upcoming Y: Marshals, the next chapter of Kayce Dutton’s (Luke Grimes) story in the Yellowstone Universe. It’s a small 11-second snippet, but combined with the official release through Entertainment Weekly, it has us on the edge of our seats as we anticipate how this franchise may continue. But, perhaps a bit shockingly, now that CBS is charging forward with series promotion, there is one name that remains mysteriously absent from the roster. For longtime Yellowstone fans, one has to wonder why Kelsey Asbille‘s Monica Dutton is nowhere to be found.

The ‘Y: Marshals’ Trailer Doesn’t Include Kayce Dutton’s Wife Monica

Image via Paramount Network

While it’s certainly good news that Grimes is back in the saddle, and taking Kayce in a new direction worth his (and our) time, we’re just as glad to hear that Yellowstone alums Brecken Merrill, Mo Brings Plenty, and Gil Birmingham will be joining him. (Birmingham’s return as Thomas Rainwater is especially good news.) This firmly roots the CBS spin-off series in the original Paramount Network drama and keeps continuity with where we last left Kayce and the rest of the surviving Duttons. Sure, none of the other Yellowstone cast members show up in the teaser, but at least Merrill, Brings Plenty, and Birmingham are all listed on the cast list alongside a host of Y: Marshals newcomers. The fact that Kelsey Asbille is not included at all is worrisome to those who love the Monica character, and while Yellowstone didn’t always know what to do with Kayce’s wife, she’s pretty vital to maintaining that family unit that we were left with in “Life Is a Promise.”

From the get-go, it always seemed like Y: Marshals was going in a new direction. The idea that Kayce would combine his expertise as a former Navy SEAL and as a Montana cowboy to become a U.S. Marshal, frankly, is an inspired choice, but it does beg some questions after Yellowstone‘s fifth season. Chief among them: Why in the world would Kayce go back to risking his life after all his family had just been through? This has led many to assume that Y: Marshals intends to kill Monica off either before the series begins or sometime in the first few episodes, thus sending Kayce back into the world of law enforcement. As he states in the teaser, he needs to “make a change.” Could it be that Monica’s death pushes him over the edge? With no news about Asbille’s return one way or another, we can only speculate until the program premieres mid-season 2026.

For a while, we were also worried that Tate Dutton wouldn’t be showing up either. Then, it was announced that Merrill would be featured as a part of Y: Marshals‘ ensemble cast. It could be that CBS is just messing with us a bit, building anticipation by not revealing everyone involved with the series. But while four Yellowstone alums have been confirmed to be returning for this sequel series, Monica Dutton has (once again) been left to the wayside. Again, it all seems a bit strange considering, as EW’s description reads, “[Kayce] and his teammates must balance family, duty and the high psychological cost that comes with serving as the last line of defense in the region’s war on violence.” Without Kayce’s full family unit around, it seems like Y: Marshals won’t meet its full narrative potential. Of course, things could just be taking a bit longer behind the scenes..

There’s Been No Word on Kelsey Asbille’s Involvement in ‘Y: Marshals’

Despite the fact that CBS seems to be charging full steam ahead with Y: Marshals promotion and publicity, it’s always possible that the network is still working out Asbille’s contract or trying to find clever ways to keep Monica from being a main cast member. It obviously took months before the network revealed that Birmingham and the other Yellowstone cast members would be returning for the sequel spin-off, possibly due to negotiations that took place between Yellowstone‘s end and the beginning stages of production for Y: Marshals. If that’s the case, then it’s just a matter of time before things work out. But more than likely, it appears that Y: Marshals could be trying to avoid Monica entirely. There are, of course, ways to work around Kayce’s bride being missing from the roster. If Kayce travels a lot for his job and Monica works, it could be that they always seem to miss each other. That would certainly be a better fate than death for the character.

Unfortunately, because Asbille hasn’t confirmed anything herself, there’s little we can do but wonder how she will be included or how her absence will be explained. When Kevin Costner left Yellowstone, the show was forced to kill him off. But John Dutton’s death had a different impact on the narrative than Monica’s would. It’s also possible that the actress will return in a special guest or recurring capacity rather than being a part of the main cast, but again, that’s only speculation. Either way, Yellowstone fans want to know what is going to become of Monica Dutton. It’s no secret that Monica wasn’t the best-written character on Yellowstone, but with Taylor Sheridan not writing for Y: Marshals, this could be the best chance for the character to get material worthy of Asbille’s acting caliber. As this teaser gets many of us even more excited about what this network spin-off could be, it’s about time that either someone at CBS or even Grimes himself makes some sort of official statement about Kelsey Asbille and her part (or absence) from Y: Marshals. It’s either that or we wait patiently until the neo-Western drama premieres…