Alright, Yellowstone fans, we are days away from the long-awaited Season 5B premiere on the 2024 TV schedule, and I’m feeling antsy. The final episodes of Yellowstone (for now) have been shrouded in secrecy, and a big topic on everyone’s minds is how the series will write out Kevin Costner. However, after over a year of reports and rumors regarding the John Dutton actor’s exit and the announcement that he’s not returning, I’m here to present a wild theory: What if Costner is returning as the Dutton patriarch?
Now, I know this is a wild thing to say, and there's a very good chance it won't happen, but let’s put on our tin foil cowboy hats for a second. I fully realize, Kevin Costner said he wasn’t coming back himself. However, hear me out, I think there’s a possibility that they figured something out, and we’re about to see him on our screens as John Dutton one last time.
The Level Of Secrecy Yellowstone Season 5B Is Shrouded In Is Suspicious
I’m not kidding, the secrecy on the Yellowstone set was at Marvel levels of intense. In a video posted by the show on YouTube, the cast noted that their scripts were redacted, and they weren’t allowed to know much beyond their own scenes. While sitting next to her co-star Wendy Moniz, who plays Senator Lynelle Perry, Sarah Atwood actor Dawn Olivieri, explained:
I don't know what she did, she doesn't know what I did, we can't tell each other.
Then, during an interview with THR, director Christina Voros said that when it came to the levels of secrecy on set, even the folks who worked on Marvel projects found it wild:
No. This was new territory for all of us. We have some people in the crew who worked in the Marvel universe, and they thought what we were doing was crazy.
She even said that while the main Dutton family and department heads know the whole story, some members of the cast and crew won’t fully know what happens in Season 5B until it premieres. This level of secrecy must mean they are hiding big secrets. And at the moment, the biggest secret I can think of is that Costner is back.
Yellowstone’s Director Flat-Out Wouldn't Say That Kevin Costner Is Not In It
Alright, here’s where things get super suspicious. In the same THR interview, Christina Voros was straight-up asked about the role John Dutton would play even though, as far as we know, Kevin Costner won’t be back. Season 5A ends with John facing impeachment, and without the news about the actor leaving, you’d assume the patriarch would still play a big role in the show. In response to that question about John’s presence, the director said:
His presence is integral. I think to say any more than that would potentially compromise all the work that went into redacting the scripts! (Laughs) But I think the reason people are wondering, ‘Is he, isn’t he? Where is he, where is he not?’ is because he is the patriarch and his presence is an essential component to the story. John Dutton is still central.
Then, things got even wilder when Voros was asked “How was the set different without Kevin Costner?” That’s a question I’d assume would warrant a straightforward answer, but we didn’t get one, as she said:
I don’t know if we were without him. I don’t know!
That quote right there is what made me believe my own wild theory. Why on earth would she respond that way if Costner wasn’t in it at all? I guess we’ll find out on November 10, but for now, there are more reasons why I think this return might happen.
Seemingly No One Has Seen The 5B Premiere Yet
Typically, in the days leading up to the premiere of a show, and especially a show as high profile and anticipated as Yellowstone, reviews and reactions come out from critics and journalists. So far, that hasn’t happened and the premiere is in a few days.
Watching interviews with the cast, it’s all pretty general and specifics about what's coming are kept close to the chest as well. Plus, when they’re asked about Costner, the question, as you saw above, never gets a straightforward answer as far as I’ve seen.
So, between that, and there being no reviews or anything, I have to wonder what they’re hiding. Admittedly, at the time of this writing, we’re still five days away from the premiere, so those could still come. However, it’s odd that we’ve heard absolutely nothing from folks who would typically get the episodes in advance. This level of caution implies that something massive is going down in the premiere, and a Costner return would fall in that category.
Kevin Costner Is In Season 5B’s Trailer A Lot
When I saw the Yellowstone Season 5B trailer, I didn’t think much about Costner being in it. I figured it was old footage, and I thought it made sense that they’d cut to old scenes or flashbacks of him, even though the actor wouldn’t be part of the season.
However, after discovering all the points above, I’m starting to wonder if the reveal isn’t hidden. Maybe, it’s been right in front of us the whole time.
Obviously, this footage could be archival or unused lines and moments from old seasons. However, the more I learn about what’s to come, the more I’m starting to think that might just be Mr. Costner in the present day playing John Dutton.
Kevin Costner Has Said He’d Return ‘Under The Right Circumstances’
Famously, on June 20, 2024, Kevin Costner took to Instagram to let his fans know that he wouldn’t be returning to Yellowstone and he’d be focusing on his Horizon films. However, when he was on the Today show three days before that, the actor made a comment that made it seem like the door wasn’t totally closed on John Dutton, he said:
I’ve supported that thing and I’ve loved it. It’s been really important to me. I would love to go back under the right circumstances I think that all of us want. For me, it really needs to be the right circumstances. Saying there’s a chance, there’s always a chance. I love the thing. You’ve got to be really clear about that.
He very intentionally didn’t say “no,” and I think that’s important. However, he did come out a few days later to make the news of his exit official. But wait, there’s more.
While speaking to ET in September, two months after he said he was leaving, he was asked if he could play John again. He explained the story could go on with his character’s kids as the primary focus, obviously. However, he also shared his take on possibly returning, saying:
Who knows, some things have a way of circling back. You know, I haven't seen that dust trail coming toward me. But I've always been open to it when I started. Five seasons was a lot for us to do. And I think that story is not finished.
Well, well, well Mr. Costner, based on all this it sure does seem like you could be coming back…
I'd like to make it clear that if he does come back, I don't think it'd be for a whole season. I think it would only be for an episode or two to wrap up his character's story. That's because he's been busy filming Horizon and the cast has answered questions about how their characters could be impacted by the loss of John, albeit in a cryptic manner. So, if Costner comes back, I would think it'd be simply to close out his character's story.
However, obviously, all of this is a theory I cooked up, and I don't really know what will happen. We’ll actually find out if Kevin Costner returns when Yellowstone premieres on November 10 on the Paramount Network at 8 p.m. ET. In the meantime, I’ll be sitting here rewatching the old seasons with a Peacock subscription and theorizing about whether or not we’ve seen the last of John Dutton.