Kevin Costner Says He Won't Be Returning to 'Yellowstone'

Yellowstone season 5 part 2 is officially happening—with or without Kevin Costner.

Filming is going on at this very moment and a November 10 premiere date was allotted for the series finale. (Woohoo!) Though, for a while now, fans have been getting mixed signals on whether or not Costner would be returning to the Western series. It was initially reported about a year ago that the actor would be exiting the franchise, primarily due to scheduling conflicts with Yellowstone production and Costner's movie franchise, Horizon: An American Saga. That's a claim that remained constant for some months until Costner spoke up to say that, while nothing was agreed upon, he was willing to come back.

Confusing. But, also... exciting? Both. Either way, there's now a concrete answer to Costner's fate on the series, and whether or not he will be reprising his role as John Dutton.

Is Kevin Costner leaving Yellowstone?

The actor himself confirmed that he will not be coming back to Yellowstone in a video announcement posted to Instagram.

"Hi everyone," Costner said. "I just wanted to reach out and let you know that after this long year and a half of working on Horizon and doing all the things that's required and thinking about Yellowstone, the beloved series that I love and that I know you love... I just realized that I'm not be able to continue season 5."

He continued: "It was something that really changed me—I loved it. And I know you loved it. I just wanted to let you know that I won't be returning. I love the relationship we've been able to develop and I'll see you at the movies."

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Sad. Though, if this strikes you as puzzling, you're not alone.

In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, the actor was asked if he thought he'd be able to finish the latter half of Yellowstone season 5.

Costner had this to say in response: "Maybe this will circle back to me. If it does and I feel really comfortable with [it], I'd love to do it."

This gave fans hope, but even this statement was a bit of a departure from previous reports over the last year. To refresh your memory, rumors of Costner leaving the hit show all began when Deadline reported that showrunner Taylor Sheridan and Paramount were "in talks" with A-list actor Matthew McConaughey for a potential new spinoff. What, in hindsight, seemed like exciting news was actually deemed to be more of a solution to issues regarding Costner's shooting schedule.

Costner was in the works of directing and starring in Horizon—a multi-part film—which was apparently the very thing slowing down Sheridan and the rest of the crew.

Sheridan essentially confirmed the news himself when he discussed the situation for the first time back in June 2023.

"I'm disappointed," he said to The Hollywood Reporter. "It truncates the closure of his character. It doesn't alter it, but it truncates it."

Is Matthew McConaughey replacing Kevin Costner on Yellowstone?

No one can replace John Dutton! A new Yellowstone spinoff featuring McConaughey has been in the works since last year, mostly fueled by an interview with the head of Paramount Media Network published in the The Hollywood Reporter. McConaughey is rumored to star in a series that continues the story of the Dutton ranch in Yellowstone, and joining the ranks of other popular spinoffs like 1883 and 1923.

What can we expect for the future of Yellowstone?

It's confirmed that Yellowstone will wrap up season 5 part 2, set to premiere on November 10, 2024.

There are also two new spinoffs in the works, titled 1944 and 2024—though it's unclear if either of these will be the project starring McConaughey.

Josiah Soto

Digital Content Producer

Josiah is the Digital Content Producer for the commerce team at Popular Mechanics, Best Products, Runner’s World, and Bicycling Magazine. He also writes for “BIO Buys”—a column on Biography.com—giving readers the lowdown on what products their favorite celebs are using. In another life, Josiah was an editor at ThePioneerWoman.com, where he sharpened his expertise on all things lifestyle, food-news, and entertainment. Outside work related matters, he’s a fan of Studio Ghibli films, unimportant reality TV drama, and melancholy Lorde songs.