Before the beloved Taylor Sheridan Western was brought to a halt following the departure of Kevin Costner, Yellowstone had plans to introduce another member of the Dutton clan. In a recent interview with Taste of Country, Christian rock star Cory Ashby revealed that he was originally slated to be introduced to the series as a long-lost Dutton brother in Season 6. The decision to cancel the series mid-way through its fifth season, however, put the kibosh on a reveal that would’ve shaken the family to its core.
“I was fired up about it and so bummed when it was canceled,” Asbury exclusively told the outlet. “So bummed.” The GMA Dove Award-winning singer-songwriter known for his breakout album Reckless Love and its title track revealed on the Dutton Rules podcast that he and his family already had everything planned out for the big role. “We were gonna move to Montana for a full year. We were ready… Anna gave me the OK and our kids were like, ‘OK, cool, we’ll live in Montana.'” Asbury was even expecting a meet-up with Luke Grimes and Sheridan seemingly to talk shop on the future of the series and his involvement, though that never came to fruition.
It’s safe to say a new member of the Dutton family would’ve changed the dynamic of the series going forward and could’ve added a new angle to further explore the family tree beyond the characters fans have already gotten to know well throughout the five-season run. Instead, Yellowstone will look to ride off into the sunset in November 2024, paving the way for the future with a number of spinoffs. Chief among those is the sequel series, currently under the title 2024, starring another longtime fan of the series, Matthew McConaughey.
The ‘Yellowstone’ Universe Is Far From Over
If Sheridan and company wanted to keep Asbury in the fold, they’d have ample opportunity to do so. Besides 2024, which is also expected to premiere sometime in late 2024, another show titled 1944 is in the works.
It will presumably follow in the footsteps of the previous two Yellowstone prequel series, 1888 and 1923 which follow previous members of the Dutton clan as they build up the titular ranch to where it is by the time John Dutton (Costner) is running the show.
A second season of 1923 is also in the cards, though the Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren-led spinoff was derailed by the writer’s strike.Stay tuned here at Collider for more on the future of Sheridan’s Yellowstone universe. Read our guide to the second part of Season 5 here for everything you need to know as the show resumes production in preparation for its return in November 2024.