Yellowstone season 5 : Kevin Costner recently unveiled the first look at his upcoming multi-part western, Horizon: An American Saga. However, for the vast majority of Yellowstone fans, the only saga they want is a conclusion to the Dutton family’s story and a glimpse of what happens next. Costner reinvigorated his career by headlining Yellowstone as John Dutton, but his clashes with Paramount Network and showrunner Taylor Sheridan have called into question Costner’s future with the franchise.

What happens to John Dutton if Costner does not return?

Sheridan had a very revealing quote on the topic when speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in June 2023. He said that Costner’s exit “kills his character. It doesn’t change it, but it shortens it.” This implies that even if Costner reappears, John Dutton will not survive the end of Yellowstone.

Via Screenrant, one theory regarding Dutton’s fate is that he will die of colon cancer. During the first season, Dutton survived his first battle with that disease. If this is how John Dutton dies, it will bring his fate full circle.

Will Kevin Costner return for Yellowstone season 5, part 2?

For now, it is unknown, with the answer being “no” more likely than “yes.” Had Costner and Paramount Network come to an agreement in advance, a joint statement would have been issued regarding his return. Keeping Costner’s return a secret would not benefit either party, as confirmation would only serve to assuage fans’ concerns.

To date, Costner has not spoken directly regarding her conflict with Sheridan and Paramount Network. The only time Costner disclosed any details was while he was in court for his divorce from Christine Baumgartner in September 2023. Via Deadline, Costner confirmed there were some issues with his Yellowstone shooting schedule, which conflicted with his Horizon commitments. Costner also acknowledged creative differences with Sheridan and openly stated that he would go to court over his exit from the series.

However, as of March 2024, no lawsuit has been filed by Costner. It is unclear whether this means negotiations between the two sides will continue. If and when Costner files a lawsuit, we can safely say that he will not be coming back

Will Matthew McConaughey appear in Yellowstone season 5, part 2?

If Sheridan wants to follow the model established for TV spinoffs, Matthew McConaughey’s new character from the upcoming spinoff will be introduced in Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2.

The only problem with that idea is that there are no official reports that McConaughey has even signed on for the spinoff.

McConaughey’s name has been mentioned with a spinoff slated for February 2023. Since that time, all of the Hollywood trades have simply stated that McConaughey is in talks to lead the spinoff. So this is just talk until McConaughey actually signs on the dotted line. Currently he has no signal.

How many episodes of Yellowstone are left?

Initially, only six episodes were planned for the series finale. But Sheridan told THR in 2023 that he has the freedom to change if he wants to. Sheridan said, “If I think it’s going to take 10 episodes to finish, they’ll give me 10.” “It will last as long as it needs to.”