What Kevin Costner’s ‘Yellowstone’ exit could mean for the Dutton Ranch

Kevin Costner is Yellowstone‘s John Dutton, and it appears that our last ride with our most beloved cowboy is on the horizon, and it’s happening far sooner than we would have hoped for.

Rumors have been swirling about Costner’s future with the series for some time now, with stones being thrown in the direction of both Taylor Sheridan and Costner, but the truth is, no one knows what’s going on behind the scenes besides those who are living it, and they’ve stayed mum about the circumstances. The latest piece of the puzzle came from an exclusive Entertainment Tonight article that claimed sources told them directly that Costner would be leaving the series before the start of the next season.

There’s a silver lining here, if you want to call it that, because despite a shorter storyline with Costner than fans would have liked being an almost guarantee at this point; there’s still a second half of season five to be filmed. That being said, more rumors are swirling that obstacles are currently in the way of a smooth path to new episodes, with everything from schedule issues to power hunger being at play — and we thought the Dutton family drama was terrible!

The truth is, Costner’s exit would cause a significant stir in the real of Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowverse, and it’s not something we’re looking forward to in any capacity. Of course, Yellowstone isn’t the first series to kill an integral character, not the first to cut ties with one of the most interesting pieces of the puzzle, and actually — John Dutton’s absence isn’t something we were ill-prepared for. We’ve seen him cheat death many a time since he’s taken on the mantle, but that hasn’t prepared us for what a Yellowstone universe would look like without him.

The possibility of his exit hasn’t been addressed by Paramount or by Costner himself (or a representative) just yet, but it’s something fans have been trying to reason with for months. So what exactly does Costner’s potential exit mean for the future of Yellowstone? What might the ranch look like without him?

Some Reddit fans wonder if, at some point during an episode of season five, we’ll see a breaking news bulletin flash across a screen.

After all, he is the Governor of Montana and is away for a lot of solo work. Could there be an accident or a planned attack? What would happen if John simply never appeared on our screens again? That’s not a future we’re willing to consider just yet.

Some fans say they can’t blame Costner for wanting to be done with the series. Yellowstone is still Paramount’s number one series and still a beloved cowboy drama, but here are some storylines fans say have jumped the shark, while others say a potential feud with Taylor Sheridan would ignite a desire for them to leave as well.

This fan hits the nail on the head, but Matthew McConaughey is confirmed for his own spin-off not to come in as a replacement for John Dutton. Otherwise, though, we’re also hoping that some time away keeps this train rolling, and not in the direction of the train station. Maybe they need some time to cool off; perhaps they need time to consider a future without John and the implications that would have on everyone.

Fans have been anticipating a Dutton family death when season five rolls back around, but we’d all but dwindled down potential characters to Beth and Jamie. The cliffhanger at the end of season five was a promise by both siblings that the other couldn’t live if survival were the end goal. For Beth, Jamie being alive is a complication. For Jamie, if Beth continues to exist, his life becomes more complicated by the second. They each signed off with the midseason finale with a guarantee to take down their biggest enemy, and we know they’re both gearing up for their most brutal battle yet.

We didn’t anticipate that one of them, or maybe both, would be mourning the loss of their father.

So what would John’s passing away do to that dynamic, and why are fans so convinced that death will take him from the land? The truth is, there is no future where John simply steps away from the ranch. There’s no realm where, after decades of fighting, he’d give up his promise to his father. He all but sealed the fate of himself and the ranch by promising his dad that no one else would ever get it, not even an inch — that it would never be given up.

So it’s not a likely story that he’d just walk away, especially not after a significant character death in season five showed fans just how much John still loved being a cowboy; enjoying the most fundamental joy he’s ever known; working the ranch, feeling it in his hands, and being part of something bigger than himself.

If Costner were to leave — if a headstone on the land soon reads his name, Beth and Jamie would officially have nothing left in common, and if one of them hadn’t met their demise at the hands (or word) of the other yet, it would inevitably come soon after John’s passing. The only reason Jamie is still alive now is that Beth listens to her dad; she thinks of him even when he thinks she doesn’t; she’s kept him alive for her father’s sake. If he were to meet an untimely end before Jamie, let’s just say the ground would get fuller very quickly.

What would it mean for the rest of the family? For Kayce and Monica, it would mean assuming more responsibility. Before John prepared to take a leave of absence during the midseason finale, he got everything ready for his son and daughter-in-law to hold down the fort in his absence. Monica said they’d always step up for him; all he ever had to do was ask, and they shared a beautiful moment before he went on to share a similar moment with Kayce. His son looked at him differently, like he wasn’t quite sure why everything felt so heavy.

Another reason we’re not ready to see John bid farewell to the ranch yet is that he’s not yet enjoyed those moments with Kayce, not really. They’ve not had that time they need to truly bond again, to feel the magic of the relationship they could have, but we digress — sort of.

For John’s enemies, his death would be a significant win. They’ve long wanted the ranch, each branch of evil, for different reasons, and if he weren’t the one holding the reigns, it would be much easier for the bad guys to sneak in. While it might seem like John is running around without a clear purpose these days, he still knows what’s important, and no one knows that ranch as John does.

In fact, the only one who comes close is Rip Wheeler; that’s yet another arena we’re not ready to see John step out of for the final time. John is the only real father figure Rip has ever known, and while it would break his heart in a way, he’s yet to experience yet. Rip would undeniably step up in his absence, but it would be a somber eternity, a sobering experience, and a heartbroken Rip isn’t something our hearts are ready for yet.

While the parameters of the experience we’ll soon be faced with have yet to be set, one thing is clear, we’re going to return to the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch with a perspective we’ve never seen before, and it’ll be one of the most interesting and emotional things in television history. Here’s hoping some space and time lead to clear minds and hearts, but if not, now’s the time to get your rewatch on and pay close attention to all of the ways that John’s absence would change the Yellowverse as we know it.