Why did Kevin Costner depart Yellowstone? Why was John Dutton killed off? How did we get right here? Certainly, Costner left the neo-Western drama forward of its final batch of episodes, with Season 5’s “A Knife and No Coin” marking his remaining look on digital camera. However whereas some have speculated that there was unhealthy blood concerned in John Dutton’s loss of life, it was nothing of the kind. Sure, John Dutton is lifeless, and no, Kevin Costner just isn’t returning to Yellowstone, and here is why…
Kevin Costner Had Commitments Past ‘Yellowstone’
When Yellowstone first began, Kevin Costner had agreed initially to do seven seasons of the present. In keeping with the actor in his interview with GQ, he had initially signed on to the Paramount Community drama for 3 seasons earlier than re-negotiating for as much as seven. However the community continued to delay manufacturing (due to a wide range of components, together with the COVID-19 pandemic), which resulted in much more contract re-negotiations. “We very hardly ever began after we mentioned we might and we didn’t end after we mentioned we might,” he defined. “And I used to be okay with that. I actually was. I used to be okay with it, however it wasn’t a development that might proceed for me.”
Whereas the actor was initially signed on to do each elements of Season 5 (and doubtlessly extra), three further manufacturing delays lastly made it inconceivable for Costner to stay round. You see, the filmmaker had been making an attempt for fairly a while to get his personal four-part Western epic movie, Horizon: An American Saga, off the bottom. He labored carefully with the Yellowstone manufacturing to guarantee that he might do each and fought to movie Horizon within the gaps when he wasn’t enjoying John Dutton. It was solely when the Paramount drama made that inconceivable that Costner had to choose. “I did not actually have to depart something behind, the gaps have been there,” the Western star defined on The Michael Smerconish Program the day after Yellowstone returned in November 2024. “However as a result of each issues are contractual, you need to make room for the opposite factor.”
Previous to the discharge of Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1, Costner revealed that “Horizon was set within the center, however Yellowstone was first place. I match [Horizon] into the gaps. They only saved shifting their gaps.” When Costner’s Horizon did poorly on the field workplace, the Western legend continued to champion his newest ardour undertaking. There are reportedly set to be 4 extra Horizon movies, every additional increasing on the historical past of the mythic American West, and presenting a brand new form of Western saga a lot better in each measurement and scale than even the Yellowstone prequel, 1883. However, Costner had beforehand appeared open to returning, however on condition that Yellowstone killed John Dutton off (for good this time), it appears extremely unlikely.
John Dutton Was Killed To Get Maintain of His Land on ‘Yellowstone’
As for why or how John Dutton was truly killed, nicely, in the event you keep in mind from Season 5A, Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) and his new squeeze, the Market Equities lawyer Sarah Atwood (Daybreak Olivieri), briefly talked about doubtlessly hiring knowledgeable to get entangled. However whereas Jamie was simply spit-balling concepts, Sarah took his ideas actually. Within the Season 5B premiere, “Need Is All You Want,” it is revealed that Sarah employed contract killers to interrupt into the governor’s mansion in Montana to make John’s loss of life seem like a suicide. However, as we see in “Three Fifty-Three,” it was truly extra of an execution. A bunch of three unknown assassins broke into John’s new house, subdued him, and used his outdated service pistol to shoot him within the head.
It was a cold-blooded homicide however masterfully staged to seem like the Dutton patriarch had killed himself. After all, neither Kayce (Luke Grimes) or Beth (Kelly Reilly) imagine that their father would truly commit suicide. From the get-go, it appears clear to at the least Beth that Jamie is someway concerned. However it’s not till Kayce appears over the physique himself that he discovers trigger to get the state to open the investigation again up, labeling John’s loss of life now not as a suicide, however a murder. With this, Yellowstone set the stage for its remaining episodes to heart on fixing John’s homicide and for the remaining Duttons to get their remaining revenge on all events accountable.
‘Yellowstone’ Will Finish the Means It Was All the time Meant, Even With out Kevin Costner’s John Dutton
Though it was perhaps not the heroic, thrilling, or maybe redemptive ending that we hoped for John Dutton, it was at all times Taylor Sheridan‘s plan to complete his story on this approach. When talking with The Hollywood Reporter again in June 2023, the Yellowstone showrunner and co-creator made it clear that, whereas his opinion of Kevin Costner as an actor hasn’t modified, neither was John Dutton’s final destiny. Other than the truth that he did not take Costner into consideration when penning these remaining episodes, Sheridan famous even again then that this was at all times how issues would finish for the sequence’ lead. “I am disillusioned,” Sheridan admitted about Costner’s exit. “It truncates the closure of his character. It does not alter it, however it truncates it.” It is laborious to inform precisely how John Dutton’s ending would have been totally different with Costner round for extra seasons — since reducing out two seasons does appear to be an enormous change — however it actually would’ve been extra satisfying.
Likewise, sequence stars Luke Grimes and Kelly Reilly have each defined that Costner’s exit is not altering the best way this story ends. “The absence was a part of the ending,” Reilly informed Leisure Weekly forward of time. “That’s not one thing that we needed to pivot; it was already written into the tapestry of the story. It was at all times going to occur, it simply unfolded just a little in another way.” That is excellent news, and it signifies that Yellowstone can look to the longer term as an alternative of stalling up to now. Grimes felt equally, noting that Costner’s absence marked Yellowstone‘s finish. “I feel the patriarch leaving was at all times going to be a part of the story,” he elaborated to Folks. “That is at all times the place it was headed is like, what do these youngsters do? What does this household do when their rock is gone?”
The excellent news is that Yellowstone‘s ending seemingly hasn’t been hindered by Kevin Costner’s lack of involvement. Because the filmmaker strikes on to new horizons (sorry, needed to), Sheridan and firm have crafted a finale six years within the making. Whereas this may not be the top of the Yellowstone Universe as an entire — there’s nonetheless one other season of 1923 within the works, and loads of spin-offs/prequels like 1944, 6666, and The Madison as nicely — it does imply that the flagship sequence is over. Whereas it is honest to be disillusioned that Costner is not part of the ultimate batch of Yellowstone episodes, this looks as if a sorry case of “no person’s fault.” John Dutton could also be loss of life, however Kevin Costner lives on, and so does the Western itself. That alone is sufficient to see the story fade into the sundown.
Yellowstone Season 5 Half 2 airs Sundays on Paramount Community. Earlier seasons might be streamed on Peacock.
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