Who is replacing Kevin Costner in ‘Yellowstone?’

Yellowstone is officially coming to an end after five seasons, and the next time we see the Dutton family will be in a sequel series taking place sometime after the events of the forthcoming run.

After months of rumors and speculation about a potential feud between Taylor Sheridan’s team and Kevin Costner over scheduling conflicts, Paramount has just announced that the six-episode second part of Yellowstone season five will be the show’s last outing.

Now that Kevin Costner is bidding John Dutton farewell, and the team is preparing to come back with another sequel featuring some of the characters from the original series, is someone replacing the governor or is Taylor Sheridan writing him out of the story altogether?

Will Yellowstone replace Kevin Costner after season five?

Amid all the hearsay that has plagued the Yellowstone fandom of late, one recurring report is now being reviewed in a different light, and that is Matthew McConaughey’s long-anticipated debut in the centennial drama series. Now, with Yellowstone‘s end fast approaching and Kevin Costner giving up the saddle and the whip, the possibility of Matthew McConaughey suddenly turning up as a Dutton, or even a replacement for John himself, is worrying a lot of fans.

Well, we’re here to put those concerns to rest once and for all. Matthew McConaughey is almost certainly not replacing Kevin Costner as John Dutton on Yellowstone, something that Paramount execs had already confirmed before.

When you think about it, there’s no replacing Kevin Costner, because Kevin Costner basically makes Yellowstone what it is. That’s probably the reason why Sheridan is concluding the main show after five seasons, instead of just killing off the character and moving on. The new series, while technically a sequel, will introduce a new cast of characters alongside some familiar faces, so this isn’t just “Yellowstone 2.0” with Matthew McConaughey in the lead role.

As for what his part will actually entail, we’re going to have to wait and see, but let’s just say that you don’t bring McConaughey into an extremely popular neo-Western drama and have him portray a side character. Come to think of it, we don’t even know where John Dutton will end up, so let’s keep doing what we in the fandoms do best — which is to speculate — and wait for the second part of season five, slated for release in November.