As many fans hate to be reminded of, Kevin Costner will not be reprising his role in the second half of the final season of Yellowstone, the uber-popular neo-western television series by Taylor Sheridan. After premiering the first eight episodes in early 2023, Season 5B will finish out Yellowstone in six episodes this November without the legendary actor. However, according to one of the franchise’s main stars, Costner’s absence was always a part of the plan, as the show closed out the Dutton family storyline.
Yellowstone star Kelly Reilly talked to Entertainment Weekly about the potential ripple effect of not including Costner’s patriarchal figure in the final episodes, revealing that it was actually closer to how showrunner Taylor Sheridan envisioned the series in the first place. This is interesting, especially since the show will have to explain why John Dutton does not appear, even though he just became the governor of Montana in the back half of the season. Presumably, a time-skip will be in order, but Reilly does not give away any specifics. Her words:
“The absence was part of the ending. That’s not something that we had to pivot, that was already written into the tapestry of the story. It was always going to happen, it just happened a little bit differently.”
When Costner left the series, a host of reports came out that his departure was due to the actor’s strict schedule and prerequisites, on top of a gigantic paycheck for playing John Dutton. However, the actor sought to make clear that the rumors were inaccurate, as well as saying he was disappointed no one defended him in light of his controversial exit. A part of the reason Costner left was his commitment to jumpstarting his own Western movie franchise, starting with Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1. Scheduling conflicts seemed to be the main culprit, although it seems it all turned out how Sheridan initially envisioned the series in any case.
Yellowstone Will Live on Without Its Star
Yellowstone is no stranger to expanding its horizon, as the franchise has already released two prequel series, 1883 and 1927, the latter of which is getting a second season starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren. That said, a Yellowstone sequel spinoff show is already in the works called The Madison, which will follow a new family and cast of A-list actors in the lead roles. Michelle Pfeiffer, Suits star Patrick J. Adams, and Lost’s Matthew Fox are officially set to star in the upcoming series, while Kurt Russell is reportedly in discussions to join as well. Matthew McConaughey was the first name rumored to lead the cast when the show was first announced, but he is now not attached to the series at this point.
According to the latest reports, Yellowstone Season 6 is still a good possibility, as series stars Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser are in talks to reprise their roles. If the deals get done, expect more from the Dutton family in addition to the spinoff series featuring brand-new characters. However, don’t expect Costner to reprise his role anytime soon, as that ship has sailed as long as his epic western saga Horizon keeps growing an audience on streaming after bombing at the box office.
