Yellowstone Season 5 resumed after a nearly two-year hiatus earlier this month, and viewers were dealt a massive blow in the midseason premiere when Kevin Costner’s John Dutton was killed off.
When the series debuted in 2018, Kevin Costner was the main attraction and received most of the attention because he was an A-list movie star making the jump to the small screen.
Kevin’s strong presence underpinned the first four and a half seasons, and most of the storylines wouldn’t have been compelling without John.
So, why did the series write out the number one name on the call sheet with a handful of episodes remaining?
There have been conflicting reports over the last two years about drama behind the scenes, but if we read between the lines, it seems Kevin had a falling out with Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan over shooting days for Season 5B.
Given his latest wave of success, Kevin wanted to focus on his self-funded Horizon movie franchise, which involved long shooting days that would have removed him from the equation for most of the Yellowstone Season 5B filming dates.
Initial reports indicated that Kevin made himself available for a handful of shooting days, which would have been jarring for Yellowstone viewers. With six episodes to film, that wouldn’t have translated into anything of substance.
Are Kevin Costner and Taylor Sheridan feuding?
For their part, Kevin and Taylor have spoken positively about one another in the media, fueling speculation that they’ll work their issues out and somehow John will return in some capacity.
There were also reports that the rest of the Yellowstone ensemble didn’t think too highly of Kevin, so maybe there is no way for him to return.
While the midseason premiere would like us to believe that Sarah (Dawn Olivieri) had John killed at the request of his son, Jamie (Wes Bentley), there’s always the possibility that John offered the hitmen she hired more money and will get the last laugh.
You never know what’s next with this show, and it sure sounds like Kevin would like nothing more than to return as John.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight in April, he revealed that he would “love” to return to the series.
“I made five seasons of it. I thought I was going to make seven, but right now, we’re at five. So how it works out — I hope it does — but they’ve got a lot of different shows going on,” he dished.
The Yellowstone franchise is expanding exponentially
Indeed, they have many shows set in the Yellowstone universe. 1883 was the first spinoff, followed by 1923, which is set to conclude with its upcoming second season.
One spinoff titled 6666 has been in the works for years but will likely follow Jimmy (Jefferson White) since the recent midseason premiere returned to the Four Sixes and caught up with the beloved character.
Beyond that, we have Yellowstone: The Madison, headlined by Michelle Pfeiffer. The series is filming ahead of a 2025 premiere and may feature some Yellowstone alums.
What are your thoughts on Yellowstone parting ways with Kevin Costner?
Yellowstone airs on Sundays at 8/7c on Paramount+. You can stream Seasons 1-5A on Peacock.