‘Yellowstone’: Here’s When the Kevin Costner-Led Show Could Potentially End

Yellowstone is currently on its midseason hiatus for season five, with the series set to air the second half sometime this summer. However, while the current storyline has foreshadowed what may very well be the end of the Dutton legacy, new reports state that season five could officially be its last. On Monday, news broke that scheduling conflicts with the series lead actor, Kevin Costner, might mark the end of Yellowstone as we know it, seeing the beloved TV star exit his long-held role as John Dutton.

Deadline reported Monday afternoon that series creator Taylor Sheridan, Paramount Global, and Paramount Network have moved to put an end to the Yellowstone series as we know it. The move is the result of scheduling conflicts with the show’s patriarch Kevin Costner as he works to juggle his role as John Dutton as well as work on his upcoming Western epic, Horizon.

Unfortunately, for long-time fans of the show, it seems Sheridan, Costner, and Yellowstone‘s home network cannot reach a satisfactory conclusion. As such, it seems the series with Kevin Costner as lead could end following the season five finale.

A Paramount Network spokesperson said in a statement, “We have no news to report. Kevin Costner is a big part of Yellowstone and we hope that’s the case for a long time to come. Thanks to the brilliant mind of Taylor Sheridan, we are always working on franchise expansions of this incredible world he has built.”

‘Yellowstone’ Universe Could Potentially Continue with Matthew McConaughey as Lead

To lose Kevin Costner as the face of Yellowstone would surely break our hearts, however, Taylor Sheridan—always thinking—has a way to potentially save the Dutton legacy from retirement and that’s with a little help from another beloved film icon, Matthew McConaughey.

Deadline reported that with Kevin Costner potentially stepping down from his lead role in Yellowstone, Taylor Sheridan has already possibly eyed a spinoff series with McConaughey at the forefront.

The news outlet further reported Monday that Taylor Sheridan, Paramount Global, and Paramount Network are “moving to end their signature show in its current form.”

The same spokesperson said of Matthew McConaughey as the universe’s new lead that he “is a phenomenal talent with whom we’d love to partner.”

As stated, the loss of Kevin Costner from the world of Yellowstone would certainly be a major blow. However, with the successes of multiple series spinoffs already, including 1883 and the ongoing 1923—as well as the modern-day series 6666 starring Jimmy Hurdstrom actor Jefferson White in the works—the central show is much less impactful on the broad scale.

Be sure to check back at Outsider for all updates regarding Yellowstone, Kevin Costner, and other hit Taylor Sheridan series.