Goodbye, John Dutton? Kevin Costner Might Not Return to 'Yellowstone'

The first wave of rumors about Kevin Costner's departure from Yellowstone, Taylor Sheridan's critically acclaimed series on Paramount Network, started to make their rounds a few years ago.

Kevin has portrayed the Dutton family patriarch, John Dutton, since day one.

In May 2023, reports stated that the actor will no longer continue the series following the conclusion of Season 5, which is reportedly slated to be released in November 2024. So, what does this mean for the future of Yellowstone and Kevin's involvement with the franchise? The actor finally addressed his fate on the show.

Following news of the actor's divorce from wife Christine Baumgartner after 18 years of marriage, Entertainment Tonight initially reported that Kevin wouldn't be returning to Yellowstone after Season 5. But in April 2024, Kevin provided a bit more insight as to whether he would be returning for the show's final season — Part 2, Season 5.

Entertainment Tonight caught up with Kevin at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Nev. in April 2024, where Kevin dished on his role in the final season of the series.

"I'd like to be able to do it but we haven't been able to," Costner said of his return. While he initially thought the series would produce seven seasons, he noted that "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. Maybe it will. Maybe this will circle back to me. If it does and I feel really comfortable with [it], I'd love to do it," the actor explained.

While Kevin has stuck around with the show well into Season 5, he has also been busy with other projects. As of this writing, he is currently a multihyphenate in directing, writing, producing, and starring in his own Western film, Horizon, which will debut in two chapters — Chapter 1 releases on June 28, 2024, and Chapter 2 drops on August 16.

In 2023, a shocking announcement was made regarding the fate of the Yellowstone series. In early February 2023, Deadline reported that Taylor Sheridan and Paramount were making moves to end the current series. What's more, there was also talk about a Yellowstone spinoff, with Matthew McConaughey starring in it.

As of this writing, it is unknown whether or not big stars like Kevin will be included in the spinoff, but Paramount remains hopeful for his involvement.

"Kevin Costner is a big part of Yellowstone and we hope that's the case for a long time to come," a Paramount Network spokesperson stated, per Deadline. "Thanks to the brilliant mind of Taylor Sheridan, we are always working on franchise expansions of this incredible world he has built. Matthew McConaughey is a phenomenal talent with whom we'd love to partner."

Season 5 of Yellowstone is being released in two parts. The first part began streaming in November 2022, and ended in January 2023 with eight episodes.

These episodes follow John as he takes over as governor of the state of Montana. As he settles into his new position, he and his family are forced to question what prices they're willing to pay to protect their own.

The second part of Season 5 will reportedly begin streaming sometime in November 2024.

As of this writing, it's still unclear whether Kevin will return to his role as John Dutton in Part 2 of Yellowstone Season 5. Fans can only hope that no matter how the show continues, Kevin will still be a part of it somehow.