Amid all the devastation in 1923 season 2’s finale, one upside is the confirmation that Taylor Sheridan will include a fan-favorite character in his next Yellowstone prequel. 1923 season 2, episode 7, was a massive finish for the Dutton family, with Jacob (Harrison Ford) and Cara Dutton (Helen Mirren) coming out on top. The Duttons’ tactical conflict against Donald Whitfield (Timothy Dalton) and Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn) came to a head in 1923’s finale, with Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar) finally coming home, helping to finish off the army attacking the Yellowstone Ranch.
Despite their victory, the Dutton family faced a grave loss in 1923’s finale when Alex Dutton (Julia Schlaepfer) succumbed to the necrosis of her legs and arm, a condition incurred by Alex’s exposure to Montana’s unforgiving winter cold. After delivering John Dutton, Alex dies in Spencer’s arms. 1923 season 2’s ending explains that her loss was felt by Spencer for the rest of his life. In her concluding narration, Elsa Dutton (Isabel May) reveals that her brother lived for 45 years after 1923’s events, dying in 1969. Therefore, Yellowstone audiences can be fairly certain this isn’t the last we’ve seen of Spencer Dutton.
1923 Season 2’s Finale Confirms Spencer Dutton Will Be In 1944
Elsa Dutton Says Spencer Lives Until He Is 80 Years Old
Since he lived until the late 1960s, we can be fairly confident that Spencer will return to Taylor Sheridan’s teased Yellowstone prequel, 1944. The World War II-era Dutton family saga will presumably pick up amid the events of the war, and it would be the perfect setting for Spencer’s return. Since Elsa confirms that her brother lived for 45 more years and Spencer takes control of the ranch in 1923 season 2’s ending, it makes sense that Spencer is in charge of the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch in 1944. Therefore, there would have to be some extenuating circumstances explaining Spencer’s absence.
Although Spencer would be in his mid-50s in 1944, the war hero could opt to return to the military. Still, it would be compelling to include Spencer’s war story rather than ignore it, and 1923 already set a precedent for Spencer’s story running parallel to what’s happening at the Yellowstone Ranch. Moreover, Taylor Sheridan including 1923’s main character in his next Dutton saga just makes sense, since Skelnar’s performance made Spencer one of the most beloved Dutton family members in the Yellowstone franchise. Considering Spencer doesn’t die in 1923’s finale, it’s safe to say he will emerge in 1944 somehow.
What’s Next For Spencer Dutton In Taylor Sheridan’s 1944 Prequel
Spencer Dutton Could Return To War
Spencer’s likely return in 1944 means we will get to learn more about the character, but there are a couple of things audiences already know from Kevin Costner’s John Dutton in Yellowstone. In Yellowstone season 4, episode 3, “Phantom Pain,” John Dutton tells Jimmy that his grandfather lost a leg, explaining that the worst pain his ancestor ever felt was in his toes after his limb was amputated. Since it looks like Spencer’s baby, John Dutton, is the father of Costner’s character, that would make Spencer John Dutton III’s grandfather, meaning that Spencer loses a leg sometime in the collective Yellowstone timeline.
Spencer will have a plethora of personal developments to explore.
The clues have led many Yellowstone fans to believe that Spencer will lose his leg in World War II, though John Dutton doesn’t explicitly state that his grandfather incurred his injury in battle. Still, considering 1923 season 2 set Spencer up as a war hero, a Medal of Honor recipient, it could be that Spencer will return to the front lines in 1944, where he will lose his leg fighting for his country yet again. That said, Spencer will have a plethora of personal developments to explore, like the widow and his second son that Elsa Dutton’s 1923 narration mentions.
Will Brandon Sklenar Return As Spencer Dutton In 1944?
And Can Julia Schlaepfer Return As Alex Dutton?
While there’s little word on 1944’s development, Brandon Sklenar has said that he’s open to returning to the role of Spencer Dutton. On one hand, Sklenar’s return to the role would be a thrill, since he and Julia Schlaepfer were a highlight of 1923 seasons 1 and 2, and Yellowstone’s audience is hungry to see more of their characters. On the other hand, Spencer would be middle-aged in 1944, and Sklenar is only in his mid-thirties. That said, it’s more likely that Taylor Sheridan will cast an older actor to convey an aged version of Spencer Dutton.
A new actor stepping into the role of Spencer Dutton could be just as good, since Sheridan’s casting team has a knack for finding believable representations of characters in their older and younger ages. Still, it’s exciting to know that Brandon Sklenar is open to reprising his role as Spencer, since Sheridan also heavily leans into flashbacks to drive his Yellowstone stories and their character-driven plots. Sklenar could return to show Spencer’s first years running the ranch in flashbacks, explaining how he adapted. Regardless of Skelnar’s involvement, it’s exciting to know Spencer will be alive for the next Yellowstone story.