Why is Kevin Costner leaving ‘Yellowstone?’

After months of rumors have been hitting the realm of Paramount’s hit cowboy drama Yellowstone, it appears that the clouds have begun clearing, and the sky is providing us with answers that we weren’t ready to hear. Not only does Kevin Costner seem to be hanging up his hat, but the core series that kicked off the Yellowverse is also set to wrap up at the end of season five. So, grab your tissues and your sad song playlists.

In pop culture, it’s no shock that series end; if things went on forever, storylines and characters would get tired; there would also be no space for new brilliance to enter the arena, so it’s not something that we thought would last forever by any means. However, fans were looking forward to at least a few more seasons of the series that bridged generation gaps and became a must-watch for friends and families alike.

With the series finally drawing in big awards, like Costner’s first Golden Globe for the role of John Dutton, it almost makes no sense for this to be drawing to a quick close, but it’s evident that there are so many stories spinning behind the scenes that have impacted things enough to all-but require it.

Reports first shared by Deadline, pointed to Costner as one of the root causes of the show ending as we know it, but more conversation chatter has kicked off since then. Everything from Taylor Sheridan’s alleged growing complex to discourse behind the scenes has been hailed as reasons that this step of the journey is coming to an end, but it’s also clear that the fan base will likely never know what truly kicked off this frustrating chapter.

Here’s everything we know so far about Yellowstone, Costner’s leaving, and Matthew McConaughey stepping into the arena.

Kevin Costner’s impending Yellowstone departure

Costner’s departing from the series is said to be due to internal conflicts about Yellowstone’s shooting schedule and its collision with another western project the actor has in the pipeline, Horizon, in which he is set to star and direct. When the reports first broke, team Costner shared the following statement about his future, as reported by CNN:

“We have no news to report. Kevin Costner is a big part of Yellowstone and we hope that’s the case for a long time to come. 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.”

As we know, it’s since been announced that McConaughey will be part of the Yellowverse in some capacity, so their dream of partnering with his talent is coming true. Costner’s team has yet to respond to the latest round of news that he is officially leaving after season five, but as soon as we find out more, We Got This Covered will provide the information for you.

The fact that his camp is so quiet is giving fans the faintest glimmer of hope that something exciting could happen in terms of a bandaid being put on this entire situation, but it appears we’ve gone to more of a critical case, and it’s beyond what a bit of Neosporin and a patch could fix.

Matthew McConaughey is stepping into the arena

While no official statement from McConaughey himself or his team has been made, Chris McCarthy did announce that McConaughey would be taking on a Yellowstone spinoff regardless of what Costner’s future with the series looked like. That news also makes it clear that McConaughey isn’t set to come in and replace Costner’s John Dutton; he’ll just be a character that carries the next piece of the storyline, and fans will undeniably cling to it with all their might.

McConaughey is a talented actor and a man who loves the state of Texas, so fans thought we might see him in the 6666 Ranch spinoff that’s on the horizon. With the realization that Costner is now leaving Yellowstone and that the series is rumored to be ending, we’re now opening our minds to the idea that the Texas native might be headed to Montana, and we’d be okay with that. A curiosity exists now, wondering what he may bring to the table, hopefully as a central character and a leading man.

No matter what happens, we’re excited to see McConaughey step into the arena in a big way, but we’re definitely still crying a little over the fact that the series we’ve grown so close with is coming to a close far too soon.

Why is Costner hanging up his hat, and what is the new spinoff?

Kevin Costner’s leaving Yellowstone has been rumored to be for several reasons, including behind-the-scenes disagreements and schedule conflicts, but we’ve yet to get a concise explanation for his exit. With news of his divorce breaking just a day before Entertainment Tonight first broke the “official” announcement of Costner’s departure, many are wondering if a more profound personal disconnect is also taking place.

Unless a scathing tell-all is released at some time in the near future, we’ll be piecing together ideas on our own, spurred by what we know and the multitude of layers we’ve yet to discover. The cast often talks about how much they enjoy working together, how much they love their characters, and the beautiful dynamic they’ve built; so if you think fans are taking the rumored news a little hard, that’s why.

Variety noted that McCarthy also said that the spinoff that will sort of “take the place” of Yellowstone’s standing is something the team is confident will be a significant hit, and it could be released on Paramount Plus as soon as this December.

“Yellowstone has been the cornerstone on which we have launched an entire universe of global hits – from 1883 to Tulsa King, and I am confident our Yellowstone sequel will be another big hit, thanks to the brilliant creative mind of Taylor Sheridan and our incredible casts who bring these shows to life.”

It’s never easy to say goodbye to a series that has built its own fandom around it, and while we know a new spinoff will soon be on the horizon to fill a void, it certainly won’t be the Cosnter-shaped space we’ve got in our hearts now, and that’s fine. No one could put those boots on the way he did; no one else could be John Dutton.