Yellowstone fans know that Taylor Sheridan‘s Dutton universe is ever-evolving and always growing to include new talent and intricately interwoven storylines, linking scenes and pieces of dialogue through years of family lineage and various relationships. The latest story in the Yellowverse regarding the talented Matthew McConaughey has us excited about the possibility of a new power player in the Dutton storyline, and it’s alright alright alright.
The magic of the story Sheridan is weaving together is this: It’s all-powerful and perfectly planned. Something will undeniably hit you during each episode and through every evolution of each season, and it’s this — we’ve been introduced to various versions of these characters, knowingly and unknowingly, since day one. A line of dialogue said by John Dutton may come up as a promise that later falls from his son Kayce’s lips. One scene with Beth as an adult might remind fans of a quote from the powerful Cara Dutton, and so on. These characters aren’t just a family; they’re essential pieces of a puzzle that reflects life for all of us.
With each new addition to the story comes another avenue of discovery for fans, and they’re both exciting and wonderful as we begin our excursion through them. So where will McConaughey fit into the delicate and deliberate world of the Dutton family? What realm could he join the Yellowverse in, and what power will he have in continuing a story that fans aren’t ready to say goodbye to yet? Let’s take a look.
What do we know about the McConaughey spinoff so far?
The rumors swirling around the Yellowverse really took off right before the WGA strike began in 2023, and with stories coming from here and there and reports of unnamed sources giving conflicting details on what the future held, there’s a large grey area where things currently exist. Many questions remain, and one of them is how will McConaughey fit into the story.
In speaking to The Hollywood Reporter early in 2023, Sheridan had this to say about McConaughey wishing to join the Dutton family realm:
“He seems like a natural fit. We had a few conversations over the years and spitballed a few ideas. Then he started watching Yellowstone and responded to it. He was like, ‘I want to do that.’ And by ‘that’ he meant diving into a raw world clashing up against the modern world. And then I said, ‘Buddy, that we can do.’“
The publication also notes that, as Sheridan continued talking about the spinoff, his way of speaking did seem as if it may be a standalone series, but we have a hard time reasoning with Sheridan walking away from characters with as much power as that of Beth and Rip, Kayce and Monica, and the ranch hands and cowboys we love so much.
McConaughey will likely be a power player
Variety shared the news that a Yellowstone spinoff could be headed to Paramount Plus as soon as December 2023, and fans think it could be the McConaughey-led series. Now, a search on IMDb will show his current projects, and we’re not seeing anything about a Yellowstone spinoff, but the game could change at any moment. There’s also the possibility that, with things changing behind the scenes so quickly in the Yellowverse, it’s not on anyone’s radar for a reason.
President and CEO of Showtime and MTV Entertainment Studios, Chris McCarthy, had this to say about the sequel on the horizon:
“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.”
If McConaughey does step in to fill a role within the current Yellowstone timeline, we might get some on-screen interaction between him and his longtime buddy, Cole Kenny, aka Cole Hauser. Now, we’re not rushing this timeline away by any means; we want a continuation and a well-done completion for this story of the Dutton chapter. We all deserve that, but we are kind of thrilled to know that some rumors seem to be hinting that the spinoff would contain members of the current Yellowstone lineup and new ones.
Fans aren’t looking for some quick wrap-up for a show we’ve loved for so long, nor are we looking for some drawn-out story that is no longer serving the talented actors and actresses on set, but let’s face it — the Yellowverse without Cosnter is something it’s going to take us all a long time to get used to. Here’s hoping McConaughey can help ease that pain with whatever new character he brings to the horizon if the spinoff in question is a spinoff with McConaughey.
McConaughey could work at the 6666 Ranch
As we said before, Taylor Sheridan writes his characters specifically for an actor or actress he has in mind for a role, so if he is writing McConaughey into the Yellowverse, it will be in a dedicated space. A Texas native himself, McConaughey might be perfect for a part in the 6666 Ranch spinoff that Sheridan is working on. He knows the land, is familiar with the way of life, and is also a man who puts his family first.
That is the very crux of what it means to be a Dutton — putting your loved ones above all else, keeping promises to your family, and ensuring the longevity of your family name. McConaughey could bring a well-rounded character to the screen, Dutton or not. The 6666 Ranch isn’t as much a Dutton story as it is Dutton-esque, but the fundamental message is still the same: it’s family over everything.
McConaughey could present as an established character at the 6666 Ranch, ready to lend a hand to newcomer Jimmy as we continue to see his evolution and budding relationship since his shift to Texas. He could be a wise ranch hand who advises newcomers or a sultry cowboy with a mysterious past. We dare dream that his character would be somewhat dark and brooding but lively enough to bring out a laugh or a smile when needed.
What about McConaughey in a prequel?
Hear us out on this one; even the cast of 1923 has been perplexed by the lack of concrete lineage in the Dutton family tree, so what if McConaughey came in as a member of the Dutton family? Sign us up!
Taylor Sheridan has already penned 1883 in its entirety, and 1923‘s second season is still being written. In a recent chat with Deadline, Sheridan also notes that he has additional prequel ideas to flesh out more of the Dutton family history — two of them, to be exact.
Sheridan is considering a prequel focused on the Duttons in the 1940s and one in the 1960s, bringing to life even more of an involved and detailed story of a family standing against a changing world and many enemies. We’d love to see McConaughey as a vital family member, standing up against whatever evil comes their way. Plus, as we said before, there’s obviously room for more Duttons in the family tree, specifically in the form of a significant character: John Dutton II.
Could it be that McConaughey could show us the world through the eyes of Costner’s John Dutton’s father? We’d love to see it. Even if he isn’t a Dutton, we’d still love to see him be an asset to the family; perhaps he’d be a Rip Wheeler to one of the founding members in a 1940s or 1960s spinoff. The possibilities are endless, but one thing is sure — we want it to be a role where we see a lot of him.
McConaughey could even play a villain
Don’t get us wrong, a sultry character who makes you swoon is just the avenue we’d love to see McConaughey in if he were to embrace the Yellowverse, but it would also be a lot of fun if he were to play a villain. Picture it; he strolls in, cowboy hat atop his curly hair, ready to kick butt and take names. We could get behind a Dutton enemy in the form of McConaughey, although that would likely mean his time on screen would be limited. The enemies who dare stand against the Dutton family won’t stand long.
While we’d like to see McConaughey in a villainous role, we wouldn’t be as overjoyed to see him taken to the train station. We’re talking longevity when it comes to McConaughey, but there’s still an option there, too. Chief Thomas Rainwater started as a significant enemy of the Dutton family, but he and John soon learned they were far better as players on the same side of the fight than on opposites. They found a common enemy and worked together to attempt to defeat them, so if McConaughey were to come in as a bad guy, we’d like to see him finding common ground with John Dutton II (if, say, he were to appear in the 1940s or 1960s spinoff) and learning how to work together with the Duttons instead of against them.
No matter what the future holds for Yellowstone, it’ll be a remarkable story, and we can’t wait to watch it unfold.
