Months after it was revealed that Kevin Costner may not return to Yellowstone Season 5, Part 2, the lead actor gave fans a surprising update regarding the future, and possibly even Season 6.
Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan decided to split Season 5 of the show into two different parts. Part 1 debuted in November 2022 and wrapped up on January 1, 2023, and many expected to see Part 2 sometime soon after.
However, due to the Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes and some disagreements that took place between Sheridan and lead actor Kevin Costner, filming for Part 2 was delayed indefinitely, and is still yet to begin as of writing.
Kevin Costner’s Surprising Yellowstone Remarks
In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, Yellowstone lead actor Kevin Costner revealed he would be open to returning to the show sometime in the future.
This is a surprising update since Costner and co-creator Taylor Sheridan went through a rough patch of disagreements that were reportedly brought on due to Costner not wanting to dedicate more than one week to filming Season 5, Part 2.
Specifically, Costner stated in the interview that he would “like to be able to” come back and play John Dutton once again.
He added that he was originally “going to make seven” seasons of the show and that he would “love” to continue with that plan if everything “works out:”
“I’d like to be able to do it but we haven’t been able to. I thought I was going to make seven [seasons] but right now we’re at five. So how it works out — I hope it does — but they’ve got a lot of different shows going on. Maybe it will. Maybe this will circle back to me. If it does and I feel really comfortable with [it], I’d love to do it.”
Although Costner made it abundantly clear that he did not feel obligated to return for Season 5, Part 2, it seems as though he cannot stay away from the John Dutton character too long.
He also mentioned that he “had thoughts” about how John’s character arc should be wrapped up, adding that “he needs to be proactive in what happens.” It is also important to note that Costner stated he “had [his] own fantasy” about John’s Yellowstone ending:
“Well, you know, he needs to be proactive in what happens and I’ve kind of had my own fantasy how it might be, but that’s Taylor’s thing. I said as much to him a while back. I had thoughts how it could happen, but we just have to see.”
How Will Yellowstone Change if Costner Returns?
As Kevin Costner mentioned, Taylor Sheridan and the Paramount Network planned on Yellowstone lasting seven full seasons before coming to an end.
However, due to Costner’s apparent departure after he and Sheridan went through their disagreement, Sheridan was forced to rewrite Season 5, Part 2.
It was then announced that Part 2 would end the show entirely, meaning that those original plans for Season 6 and Season 7 were tossed out the window.
However, it now seems as though Costner and Sheridan worked through their issues and the former could make a full return to the show.
After all, filming still has not started on Season 5, Part 2, so Sheridan could easily scrap his rewrites and just keep the original plans and scripts if Costner does come back.
The main issue that got in between Costner and Sheridan was Costner’s Western passion project, Horizon: An American Saga.
When Yellowstone Season 5, Part 2 was supposed to be filming, Costner was also filming both of his Horizon movies (which will be released in theaters on June 28 and August 16, respectively), which is why he didn’t want to dedicate too much time to Yellowstone.
However, since both Horizon films finished production and do not require any more shooting, his schedule is likely cleared up enough to come back to Yellowstone.
So, if he wishes to come back and Sheridan and the Paramount Network agree, Yellowstone could continue beyond Season 5, Part 2 like it was initially planned.
It is clear that Costner wants to see the story played out the way it was intended, and if he were to return, fans could see the original vision that Sheridan had for Yellowstone.