Kevin Costner Still Angling for ‘Yellowstone’ Return — But It Might Be Too Late

Kevin Costner’s unceremonious exit from Yellowstone continues to make headlines a year later. It’s not rumored that the actor is still angling for a return to the show, but it might be too late. According to Puck, while he has not said anything publicly, “behind the scenes” Costner is seeking to be included in the show’s final episodes.

“I’m told, one of Costner’s reps is still asking that (Yellowstone co-creator Taylor) Sheridan bring him back to finish his arc,” explains Puck’s Matt Belloni. “We’ll see if that happens, but Sheridan is said to be super happy with how he currently wraps up the show-without Costner-and with shooting set for this spring and summer, the clock is ticking on any reconciliation.”

Belloni added, “Paramount and the reps involved declined to comment on any of this.”

It was previously announced that Yellowstone Season 5 will be the show’s final outing — following Costner quitting — with the series coming to an end in November 2024. Interestingly, this is not the first time it’s been reported that Costner was attempting to rejoin the series. According toa previous Puck report, after Costner walked away, his reps reached out to the network and Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan to find out if there was any way he could return. The outlet reported that Costner’s reps were “basically begging” for the actor to be allowed to be allowed to come back to Yellowstone, but it ultimately did not work out.

Over the summer, Sheridan opened up about the recent controversy surrounding the show and even revealed that Costner has had some problems as far back as Season 2. In an extensive interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Sheridan offered his candid perspective on the show and its inevitable end. During the conversation, an “anonymous claim” came up in which a source had claimed that Costner was unhappy with the direction of his character, John Dutton, and that Sheridan’s reply was encouraging him to “stick to acting.” 

“I never had that conversation with Kevin,” Sheridan told THR. “There was a time in Season 2 when he was very upset and said the character wasn’t going in the direction he wanted. I said, ‘Kevin, you do remember that I told you this is essentially The Godfather on the largest ranch in Montana? Are you that surprised that the Godfather is killing people?’ What he’s clung to is [Dutton’s] commitments to his family and way of life. Dutton’s big failing is not evolving with the times – not finding different revenue streams [for the ranch].” 

“Kevin felt Season 2 was deviating from that, and I don’t know that he was wrong,” Sheridan added. “In Season 3, we steered back into it. And I recall him winning a Golden Globe last year for his performance, so I think it’s working.” Yellowstone will be back to conclude its fifth and final season later this year.