Hollywood Legend Nearly the Same Age as Kevin Costner May Be the Answer to Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone Problem But it Comes With a Huge Risk

Yellowstone has been the root of many evils for almost 2 years now. Deterioration in the quality of writing, Kevin Costner’s frayed relationship with Taylor Sheridan, premature cancelation of the show 2 seasons before its supposed ending, and an ongoing lawsuit between Sheridan and one of his lead actors are just a few of the many things that have been going awry since the series last aired.

Now that the television Western is finally returning with Season 5, Part 2, fans have expectantly hoped for a climactic finale to the story that has entertained viewers for the better part of the last 7 years. However, as the series begins filming its final few episodes, the biggest dilemma is whether Kevin Costner will return as John Dutton for one last time, or if his pride will get the better of him.

Kevin Costner’s Return Remains a Distant Dream

In the ambitious and cut-throat world of Yellowstone, the patriarch of the Dutton family is the only steadfast pillar around which the rest of the characters, plots, and drama revolve and intersect. Without Kevin Costner‘s John Dutton, the entire narrative of Yellowstone becomes moot, giving the series no meaning or cause to fight over or build on. The characteristic cruelty and apathy with which Costner brought his character to life has been the show’s signature identity.

However, the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding the filming schedule of Season 5 and Costner’s long wait before moving on to his passion project, Horizon: An American Saga, drove the actor to walk out of his contractual obligation to Sheridan. As Costner revealed during an interview with Deadline, despite waiting for 14 months to begin filming Part 2, “The scripts never came.”

In his absence, the Paramount+ series has moved on with the remaining cast as Taylor Sheridan drives his show to the finish line. Despite Costner publicly admitting that he’d be open to returning for the series finale, the water has become too muddied for all parties to reconcile and head back to filming without further ado.

Should John Dutton be Recast After Kevin Costner’s Exit?

For some time now, Yellowstone fans have been concerned about the fate of John Dutton in Season 5, since Sheridan is against the policy of disrespectfully killing characters off-screen without giving them proper closure. Considering how Costner is the main lead of Yellowstone, it will be difficult for the show’s creator to end his arc in a “f*ck-you car crash” due to their off-screen dispute.

The only remaining solution then is to recast the character of John Dutton with another actor equally qualified to fill in Costner’s shoes. As one Reddit user claimed, Dennis Quaid as John would be the perfect fit in many respects – with age and filmography being two of the primary and most important factors.

Both actors (aged 9 months apart) have reigned in Hollywood as venerated A-listers throughout the 80s and 90s. Moreover, just like Kevin Costner, The Right Stuff actor has starred in numerous Westerns as well, most famously, The Long Riders (1980), Wyatt Earp (1994), and The Alamo (2004).

Kevin Costner, who has been known for his extraordinary love for and mastery of the Western genre, has left an irreversible imprint on the character of John Dutton. From a subjective viewpoint, recasting him would be an absolute travesty. However, the character of John Dutton was written in service to the show, Yellowstone, and if recasting him can bring the story to its proper conclusion, the smarter choice would be to get Dennis Quaid to stand in for John Dutton for the last 8 episodes.

But such a straightforward solution comes with its own risk. Considering how loyal Yellowstone‘s fanbase has grown to be, recasting such a central character in Paramount’s flagship show will not only affect the series ratings but Sheridan’s reputation as a producer as well. As such, the dilemma surrounding the recasting of Kevin Costner’s John Dutton is as legitimate as it can get.

Yellowstone Season 5, Part 2 will stream exclusively on Paramount+ in November 2024.