Kevin Costner's rumored exit from the hit tv show Yellowstone has fans wondering about its future. His role as John Dutton is so pivotal to the story's plot that its audience believes his departure would lead to the show's cancellation.
Here's what co-star Wes Bentley has to say about it.
Bentley said Costner's departure from the series won't surprise him because of their characters. The former plays Jamie Dutton, the adopted son of John Dutton (Costner).
Although they've lasted for five seasons, Bentley believes their on-screen characters' lives can end anytime. He told TV Line that the showrunner considered killing one of the two Duttons off since Season One but never got around to it.
Bentley said,
"I thought about this in Season One because it's always a possibility in TV, right? We're always ready to die..."
With the recent reports of Costner feuding with the showrunners, the possibility of his character dying and leaving the show seems more feasible. Deadline reported that the actor got into a scheduling conflict after the Golden Globes.
Costner reportedly wanted to finish shooting the final eight episodes of Season Five in one week, but Paramount Network refused. Before his request, Costner shot his scenes within 65 days, so the new deal would've seen him cutting 15 days of work from his contract.
More conflicts arose when Costner started shooting his new Western anthology series, Horizon, which is set to compete with Yellowstone. As a lead character in the former series, this new show posed a conflict of interest.
Also, the Yellowstone showrunners said Costner's partial attendance caused a drop in morale for the rest of his castmates. So, Paramount rejecting Costner's offer to work for 15 days less than usual was a power move.
Moreso, Matthew McConaughey is joining the franchise on a spin-off show written by Taylor Sheridan. Negotiations are still ongoing, but fans are expectant since the prequels 1883 and 1923 saw widespread success.
Deadline guesses the second part of Yellowstone's fifth season would be its last while the spin-offs take precedence.
1883 is a limited series that explored the Dutton's origin and their settlement in Yellowstone. It stars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.
Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford led 1923, following another generation of the Duttons as they faced the Great Depression. The two upcoming spinoffs would be set in the 1940s and 1960s with other generations of Duttons.
When asked about the Costner scandal, Paramount executives told ET Online that they don't have anything to say about the actor but are open to expanding Sheridan's universe as much as possible.
The network is ready to welcome McConaughey to the franchise but it doesn't mean the end for Yellowstone.
Costner's co-star Cole Hauser (Rip Wheeler in the series) is certain there'll be two more seasons before Yellowstone considers wrapping up its story. However, that's all the actor could share because he enjoys discovering more about the series, like the audience.
Meanwhile, Yellowstone fans aren't ready for the actor to leave the series yet. They've resorted to online pleas through Instagram and Twitter to make him change his mind about leaving.
Costner hasn't said anything about staying or leaving as he's been busy with his other show, Horizon. However, that hasn't stopped fans from asking tough questions.
Yellowstone has an ensemble cast of actors from Kelsey Asbille to Taylor Sheridan, Wes Bentley, Luke Grimes, and the main man, Kevin Costner. It follows the lives of sixth-generation ranch owners, the Duttons.
Some fans believe Paramount Pictures can replace Costner with other actors like Ted McGinley.
Costner won a Golden Globe for his performance in Season Four.
