Kevin Costner Gives Update On When He’ll Leave Yellowstone

Kevin Costner says he isn't sure if he'll return for another season of Yellowstone.

By TeeJay Small | Published

Yellowstone, which airs Sunday nights on the Paramount Network, has delivered jaw dropping performances from its cast over the course of the last five seasons, and Costner is no exception. Naturally, fans are chomping at the bit to find out if the actor plans to stick around now that his character has undergone such a significant change of pace. They may not be happy to hear that in a new interview, Kevin Costner explained that he’s unsure if he’ll return for Yellowstone‘s sixth season.

Costner spoke on his future in Yellowstone during an interview with USA Today, saying, “[John Dutton’s] heart is at the ranch, not trying to find middle ground with people. That’s going to be problematic. He has a lane that he operates in that is not as expansive as some would want it to be. And he won’t change.”

Given Kevin Costner’s commitment to his Yellowstone role, this left many fans to speculate if the actor felt the same way in regard to the show itself. Costner went on to liken working on the expansive ranch sets to being in recess, whereas his character’s newfound political office will have him staying in school.

When probed about the likelihood of his involvement in a sixth season, Kevin Costner declined to give a firm answer, but specified that he originally hadn’t planned on being in Yellowstone this long to begin with. “I was only going to do one season, but I’ve done this many,” Costner said. “I give everything I can to what I’m doing.”

“But the moment I feel that it’s not right, I’m just going to step away.” We suppose fans will have to remain on the edge of their seats to see where John Dutton and his family find themselves when this fifth season concludes, and what that means for the cast.

kevin costner yellowstone
Kevin Costner in Yellowstone

In today’s era of prestige television, A-list actors such as Kevin Costner are committing to bigger and longer projects than ever, along the lines of Yellowstone. Costner clarified that the most important factor to his continued growth within a role is the writing.

Hopefully this provides relief for the millions of fans who come back every week to see the thrilling installments of the Dutton ranch, particularly now that a host of spinoff and in-universe projects are coming out, such as the limited prequel series 1883 starring real life spouses Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, and the upcoming chapter 1923 which will star Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren as ancestors of the Dutton family.

One thing is for certain: Kevin Costner has not lost his giddy up for the Western genre. Whether or not he returns for additional seasons of Yellowstone, he’s got plans in the works for a series of films set in the Utah desert. Much like his on-screen identity, it seems Costner has fallen in love with the open skies and vast terrains of the American West, and he has no plans to slow down.