‘Yellowstone’s Most Brutal Villain, 59, Wants to Return — and These Spin-Offs Should Absolutely Resurrect Him

Over its five seasons and 53 episodes, Yellowstone worked its way through quite a few different antagonists over the years. Everyone wanted a piece of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, and that brought all sorts of unseemly and violent types to Paradise Valley in hopes of carving out their own slice. But while most Yellowstone villains were generally forgettable, able to be replaced with any other black hat in the Dutton saga, one character stood out as an especially formidable opponent. If Neal McDonough‘s Malcolm Beck was the first to come to mind, then you’re on the right track. In fact, if future Dutton stories are smart, this is one villain they’ll bring back for more — especially since McDonough himself is game.

We Never Actually Saw Malcolm Beck Die on ‘Yellowstone’

After kidnapping Tate (Brecken Merrill) and causing an unbearable amount of emotional distress within the Dutton family, Malcolm Beck finally got his comeuppance in the second season finale, “Sins of the Father.” Here, John Dutton (Kevin Costner) confronts the man under the cover of darkness, shooting him and leaving him to succumb to his wounds. Though John promises to get the villain to a hospital, Malcolm notes that he won’t make it there, and the Dutton patriarch allows him to die in peace. The only thing is, we never actually saw Malcolm Beck die, and that has spurred many to believe that he may still be out there after all. Chief among those spreading the theory is Neal McDonough himself, who desperately wants to return to the Yellowstone Universe.

“Yes, Malcolm Beck is not dead,” McDonough confidently shared with Collider. “No one saw him actually die in the field.” While McDonough has been saying this for years, there has been no official confirmation that Malcolm survived his fateful encounter with John Dutton. In fact, many have pointed out that it’s unlikely the character survived due to the stomach wound he received and his distance from a hospital. However, many still hold out hope that one of television’s greatest villain actors may return to the franchise for more.

“I would love to see him come back and cause havoc with Rip because Cole Hauser was one of my dearest pals, and there’s nothing I would love more than to go toe to toe with Cole on the show,” McDonough elaborated. With the news that Rip and Beth (Kelly Reilly) are getting their own spin-off sequel, tentatively titled Dutton Ranch, this new operation will need some conflict in order to make things interesting. Given the friendship that already exists between McDonough and Hauser, maybe Malcolm ought to return and invoke “the sins of the father” upon Dutton’s surviving daughter and her new family, which now includes Finn Little‘s Carter.

Considering that McDonough has continued to be cast in Taylor Sheridan dramas since his season-long tenure on Yellowstone, having played Cal Thresher on Tulsa King for several seasons, it’s certainly a possibility that the filmmaker could bring him back for more. Though McDonough wants to appear on Landman, it’s Yellowstone that the actor is really anxious to return to, and we can’t say we blame him. But while McDonough would love for Malcolm Beck to take on Rip Wheeler the next time he’s in Montana (a fight that Malcolm would be hard-pressed to win), there’s another character that may make a lot more sense for the surviving Beck brother to gun after…

Additionally, McDonough is no stranger to neo-Western procedural, having previously played Robert Quarles during the third season of Justified. Seeing that he’s no stranger to these sorts of crime dramas, Y: Marshals would be the most natural place to incorporate Malcolm Beck back into the Yellowstone continuity. Of course, all of this hinges on Neal McDonough being right about Malcolm Beck. If the character is resurrected for one of the new spin-offs, be it Y: Marshals or Dutton Ranch, this old rivalry could spark new life into Taylor Sheridan’s neo-Western world. Like McDonough, we’d welcome Malcolm’s return, even if it means that our heroes are in more danger now than ever.