Why is Kevin Costner not in Yellowstone anymore? Everything we know as the final episodes air without John Dutton

WARNING: This article contains spoilers for Season 5 Episode 9 of Yellowstone, which premiered November 11 only on Stan.

Kevin Costner's exit from Yellowstone left fans shocked and curious, as the Hollywood icon stepped away from his role as the formidable patriarch John Dutton III.

The only place you can stream every episode of Yellowstone is on Stan.

After months of rumours, Dutton's tragic fate was confirmed in the first few minutes of the mid-season premiere when he was found dead in his home.

As with every season of Yellowstone, the character's passing left viewers with more questions than answers – but what we do know is that Dutton is gone, for good.

Below we're diving into why Costner decided to leave the series, what exactly happened to his character and how the show might conclude without him.

Why isn't Kevin Costner in Yellowstone anymore?

In June 2024, Costner took to Instagram to announce that he wouldn't be appearing in Season 5 Part 2 of Yellowstone.

He mentioned in the video statement that he was busy working on his passion project Horizon: An American Saga; a Western epic he had co-written, directed and funded.

"Hi, everyone. I just wanted to reach out and let you know that after this long year and a half of working on Horizon and doing all the things that's required and thinking about Yellowstone, the beloved series that I love and that I know you love..." he began.

"I just realised that I'm not be able to continue Season 5 B or into the future. [Yellowstone] was something that really changed me, I loved it. And I know you loved it.

"I just wanted to let you know that I won't be returning. I love the relationship we've been able to develop, and I'll see you at the movies."

As the lead protagonist of Yellowstone, Costner was integral to its success and the news left many fans heartbroken.

YELLOWSTONE SEASON 5 PART 2 EPISODE 9 RECAP: John Dutton's fate is finally revealed in gut-wrenching premiere

Kevin Costner's scheduling conflicts

Horizon will be told in a total of four chapters, and scheduling conflicts meant it wasn't feasible for him to film the final episodes of Yellowstone.

There was also rumours that there was tension between Costner and Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, which both parties spoke out about.

In an interview earlier this year, Costner denied his Yellowstone exit was to do with a strained relationship with the creator.

"I liked the people on the show. I liked what it was about. I love that world," he told PEOPLE.

Costner said he kept Yellowstone a priority for over a year awaiting the final season's scripts and schedule, but added that ultimately "the scripts weren't there."

Despite any speculation, the actor had nothing but praise for Yellowstone during the interview – including some kind words about Sheridan.

He said Sheridan understood the "world of modern-day ranching", praising his ability to balance that theme with the added drama that has left viewers hooked since episode one.

Interestingly, Costner added that he'd initially only signed up for just one season but ultimately the studio wanted more. "Because [Sheridan's] such a prolific writer, he said, 'I can do that. I can make a series that goes on,'" he praised.

The actor eventually "stepped up" to the extension, and told Sheridan, "I'll do it for three seasons… and I ended up doing it for five."

Reports previously claimed that Costner initially negotiated to appear in Yellowstone's final season in a limited capacity, but the project's scale and demands proved incompatible.

Sheridan previously said: "My last conversation with Kevin was that he had this passion project he wanted to direct. He and the network were arguing about when he could be done with Yellowstone.

"I said, 'We can certainly work a schedule toward [his preferred exit date],' which we did."

Sources claimed to Deadline in February that Costner only wanted to spend a single week shooting his scenes for the second batch of episodes in Season 5.

However, his attorney denied the report, saying: "The idea that Kevin was only willing to work one week on the second half of season five of Yellowstone is an absolute lie."

READ MORE: Kevin Costner's brand new Western film Horizon: An American Saga is available to watch now on Stan

What happened to Kevin Costner's character in Yellowstone?

Below is a huge spoiler, so read on at your own risk.

John Dutton III's fate was confirmed in the first few minutes of the mid-season premiere.

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The cast of Yellowstone hit the red carpet for the Season 5, Part 2 premiere in New York

Blood was splattered on the wall, a gun found on the floor and there was a body – which his children Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Kayce (Luke Grimes) confirmed was John's.

While detectives thought it was suicide, Beth blamed their brother Jamie (Wes Bentley).

The episode seemingly confirmed that Sarah (Dawn Olivieri) who is romantically involved with Jamie (Wes Bentley), called a hitman on him via a shady professional organisation.

Will there be a Season Six of Yellowstone?

As of right now, it doesn't look like there will be.

Yellowstone will conclude with Season 5, but its universe will continue to expand.

Sheridan's Yellowstone franchise has already launched multiple successful spin-offs, securing the story's legacy even without a new season.

What has Kevin Costner said about Yellowstone?

After the episode aired where John Dutton met his fate, Costner told The Michael Smerconish Program on SiriusXM that he didn't even realise it was airing.

"That's a swear to God moment. I swear to God. I mean, I've been seeing ads with my face all over the place and I'm thinking, 'Gee, I'm not in that one'." he explained.

"I'm not in this season. But I didn't realise yesterday was the thing. Somebody said, 'It played last night?' And I said, 'Hmm, okay.' So no, I found out about it this morning actually."

Can't get enough of Yellowstone? Go behind the scenes of Season 5 Part 2 and catch an explosive first look in the video below:

The only place you can stream every episode of Yellowstone is on Stan.

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