John Dutton’s Dying and Kevin Costner’s Exit From ‘Yellowstone,’ Defined

Why did Kevin Costner go away 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 last look on digital camera. However whereas some have speculated that there was unhealthy blood concerned in John Dutton’s demise, it was nothing of the type. Yes, John Dutton is dead, and no, Kevin Costner will not be 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. Based on 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 once we stated we might and we didn’t end once we stated we might,” he defined. “And I used to be okay with that. I actually was. I used to be okay with it, but it surely wasn’t a development that would proceed for me.”

Whereas the actor was initially signed on to do each elements of Season 5 (and probably extra), three extra manufacturing delays lastly made it unattainable 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 intently with the Yellowstone manufacturing to be sure that he may do each and fought to movie Horizon within the gaps when he wasn’t taking part in John Dutton. It was solely when the Paramount drama made that unattainable that Costner had to select. “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, it’s a must 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 transferring 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 further expanding on the history of the mythic American West, and presenting a brand new type of Western saga a lot larger in each measurement and scale than even the Yellowstone prequel, 1883. However, Costner had beforehand appeared open to returning, however provided 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 really killed, effectively, if you remember from Season 5A, Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) and his new squeeze, the Market Equities lawyer Sarah Atwood (Daybreak Olivieri), briefly talked about probably hiring knowledgeable to get entangled. However whereas Jamie was simply spit-balling concepts, Sarah took his ideas actually. Within the Season 5B premiere, “Desire Is All You Need,” it is revealed that Sarah employed contract killers to interrupt into the governor’s mansion in Montana to make John’s demise appear to be a suicide. However, as we see in “Three Fifty-Three,” it was really 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 appear to be the Dutton patriarch had killed himself. After all, neither Kayce (Luke Grimes) or Beth (Kelly Reilly) consider that their father would really commit suicide. From the get-go, it appears clear to at the very least Beth that Jamie is one way or the other concerned. However it’s not until Kayce looks over the body himself that he discovers trigger to get the state to open the investigation again up, labeling John’s demise now not as a suicide, however a murder. With this, Yellowstone set the stage for its final episodes to heart on fixing John’s homicide and for the remaining Duttons to get their last revenge on all events accountable.

‘Yellowstone’ Will Finish the Means It Was At all times Supposed, Even With out Kevin Costner’s John Dutton

Though it was possibly 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 ultimate fate. Other than the truth that he did not take Costner under consideration when penning these last episodes, Sheridan famous even again then that this was at all times how issues would finish for the sequence’ lead. “I am upset,” Sheridan admitted about Costner’s exit. “It truncates the closure of his character. It would not alter it, but it surely truncates it.” It is onerous to inform precisely how John Dutton’s ending would have been completely different with Costner round for extra seasons — since reducing out two seasons does seem to be an enormous change — but it surely actually would’ve been extra satisfying.

Likewise, sequence stars Luke Grimes and Kelly Reilly have each defined that Costner’s exit isn’t changing the way this story ends. “The absence was a part of the ending,” Reilly informed Entertainment 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 a substitute of stalling prior to now. Grimes felt equally, noting that Costner’s absence marked Yellowstone‘s end. “I feel the patriarch leaving was at all times going to be a part of the story,” he elaborated to People. “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 would possibly not be the tip of the Yellowstone Universe as an entire — there’s nonetheless another season of 1923 in the works, and plenty of spin-offs/prequels like 1944, 6666, and The Madison as effectively — it does imply that the flagship sequence is over. Whereas it is honest to be upset 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 demise, 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 could be streamed on Peacock.

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