Wes Bentley and Kevin Costner. Shutterstock (2)
Prepared for the worst. As rumors circulate about the future of Yellowstone, Wes Bentley said that he’s already considered what the show would look like without Kevin Costner.
“I thought about this in season 1,” the American Horror Story alum, 44, told TVLine at SCAD TVFest earlier this month. “Because it’s always a possibility in TV, right? We’re always ready to die.”
The American Beauty actor — who plays Jamie Dutton, the eldest son of John Dutton (Costner) — added this his character might really be finished with his father after John stole the gubernatorial election out from under him.
“[John] really has got this hypnotic pull on Jamie,” Bentley explained. “After John ran for governor and became the thing he said he hated, Jamie started to have a change of perspective. Maybe John is not this tough guy he says he is. Maybe John doesn’t have ideas. Maybe he’s just another guy like the rest of them. … The deity is gone.”
Earlier this month, Yellowstone fans panicked when Deadline reported that Costner, 68, will be leaving the show after season 5 because of disagreements over his filming schedule. The outlet went on to claim that Paramount Network is exploring the possibility of ending the show in its current form and moving forward with a spinoff centered on a new character played by Matthew McConaughey.
The network, however, denied the report that the Dances With Wolves director is leaving Yellowstone and did not confirm any projects involving McConaughey, 53.
“We have no news to report. Kevin Costner is a big part of Yellowstone and we hope that’s the case for a long time to come,” a spokesperson told Deadline in a statement. “Thanks to the brilliant mind of [cocreator] Taylor Sheridan, we are always working on franchise expansions of this incredible world he has built. Matthew McConaughey is a phenomenal talent with whom we’d love to partner.”
The first part of Yellowstone‘s fifth season wrapped up on a cliffhanger in January, with Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) declaring that she wants her brother Jamie killed. Jamie, meanwhile, asked Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri) whether she knew anyone who could in turn be hired to kill Beth. The drama series is set to return with more episodes in the summer.
“I think Jamie’s always — maybe more than [Beth] — felt like there was some reconciliation and love there that he could come back to,” Bentley told Us Weekly in November 2022, explaining Jamie’s character arc in season 5. “But her having him kill his [biological] father is the breaking point, and whatever love he had for her is gone. Whatever hope he had for her is gone. And more than that, I think he’s angry and he wants her to pay.”
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