Latest Yellowstone Update Spells Trouble for Costner-Sheridan Collaboration

Ever since Taylor Sheridan and Kevin Costner had their little falling out, the greatest mystery of Yellowstone became its finale — particularly, its cast and/or ability to have a decent closure for the patriarch of the Dutton family. There’s little to no opportunity to do so without former lead star Kevin Costner, so fans have been worried lately.

Recently, Costner made a few hopeful statements, giving fans the idea that he might still return — but the latest update seemingly puts a lid on such aspirations.

Yellowstone S5 Part 2 Is Already Filming

On May 20, Paramount announced that Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 was officially in production. The script has been finalized, the crew’s all gathered, and the cameras are rolling. While spectacular news for fans in the sense that there’s been quite a delay since the first part of S5 premiered, it also spells trouble for Costner’s return.

There have been many speculations about Costner and Yellowstone lately, and the actor himself has claimed he was open to reprising his role as John Dutton many times. However, seeing how the Western star is currently still busy with his Horizon movies, the otherwise positive update might also mean that Taylor Sheridan has made up his mind and decided to proceed without Costner.

How Can John Dutton’s Story End?

Without Kevin Costner, his character’s story will be hard to finalize, but not impossible. Considering that John Dutton has been the lead character since Day 1, we feel confident in saying that he won’t be killed off-screen in the classic “F-you car crash,” and there will likely be a more inventive approach to explaining his absence.

John Dutton has many enemies, and some of them might force him to go into hiding or even leave the state entirely to save his family and ranch. We could even see him wandering off into the sunset as a dark figure, with flashback scenes on top of that, seeing how Josh Lucas, the young John Dutton actor, returns in Yellowstone finale.

Ultimately, we’re sure that Sheridan wants to give his iconic show the best ending possible, and that includes giving John Dutton his due. And who knows — maybe we’re wrong, and Costner and Sheridan have already worked out a convenient schedule that would allow the actor to film a few final scenes.

We’ll learn the answer in a few months as Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2 is scheduled for a November 2024 premiere, two years after Part 1’s release.

Source: Paramount via Deadline