“Taylor and I know what the conditions are”: Kevin Costner Won’t Return to Yellowstone Season 5 Until Taylor Sheridan Relents and Accepts his Will

The fifth season of Yellowstone is halfway done, so the show is not over yet. As the hit series draws closer to its anticipated finale, fans are eager to see how the story of the Dutton family is going to end. However, one key player in the show’s success, Kevin Costner, has thrown a wrench in the works by hinting that he may not return for the final episodes unless certain “conditions” are met.

Since reports of Costner’s departure from Paramount’s show began to circulate in 2023, his controversial exit has been linked to schedule conflicts, financial demands, and a shift in focus toward other projects. But, in a recent interview for a GQ cover story, the 69-year-old actor offered his perspective on the situation and discussed his potential return to Yellowstone.

Indeed, the actor revealed that his return is contingent on a negotiation between him and the show’s co-creator, Taylor Sheridan.

Yellowstone: Kevin Costner and Taylor Sheridan’s Silent Agreement?

Last year, Kevin Costner left his role as John Dutton after what he later called a “long, hard-fought negotiation” (per People). 

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Claiming that he needed to focus on his own Western epic, Horizon: An American Saga, he said it was not possible to film Yellowstone twice a year. Costner remarked, “That is a big deal in this world”, after he “changed” his schedule to film the first part of season 5.

Following his declaration to Entertainment Tonight earlier this year that he would “love” to return for the final episodes of the show, Costner has now revealed that the “conditions” of such a return are up to him and Taylor Sheridan.

In an interview with GQ, Costner hinted at the conditions for his return while also stating that he is a person who is very “script-oriented”:

Well,Taylor and I know what the conditions are for coming back, and I’ll just keep that between ourselves… I love that character… I am a person that is very script oriented. And if the scripts aren’t there now, I need to know what I am. I want to make sure that the character lines up with what’s important to me too.

He also emphasized that the decision ultimately lies between him and Sheridan, and if they cannot come to an agreement, it may be because it is “unreasonable” for one party or the other:

And if we can’t get to it, it’s because at the end of the day, it’s unreasonable for them or something… And that’s pretty simple. That’s just between, again, Taylor and myself. Can we ever get there? I don’t know.

With the fate of John Dutton hanging in the balance, fans are left wondering whether Costner will ultimately return to Yellowstone for its final episodes.

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Also, viewers have previously been reassured by Costner’s former co-star, Kelly Reilly (who plays Beth Dutton), that the show will give them the happy ending they deserve, promising a “wild” and fulfilling finale.  

Kelly Reilly’s Insight on the Highly Anticipated Yellowstone Ending

With the second half of its fifth season, Yellowstone is anticipated to conclude later this year. “It is gonna be wild”, Kelly Reilly previously revealed in an interview with RadioTimes.

The ending of Yellowstone that was always the ending of Yellowstone back when I signed on in 2018. And it’s gonna be… you know, I can’t really say much about it. I can’t say anything about it, but I’m just looking forward to finishing the show for them in the way that the audience deserves.

She also addressed the possibility of making a comeback in upcoming spin-offs and sequels, saying

There are discussions, you know… But we’re gonna, you know, let’s wait and see. I don’t have an answer right now. But we’ll see.

As the tension between Kevin Costner and Taylor Sheridan continues to simmer, fans can only hope that the two can come to an agreement that will allow the former to reprise his role as John Dutton one last time. Until then, the fate of Yellowstone remains uncertain, leaving viewers anxiously awaiting the show’s thrilling conclusion.

Yellowstone is streaming on Peacock.