Kevin Costner has publicly stated his desire to return to Yellowstone, puting Taylor Sheridan under the most pressure yet to get the ending right.

After months of speculation, it was revealed that Kevin Costner wouldn’t be returning to Yellowstone season 5, part 2, however, the actor recently stated his desire to appear in the show’s ending, and now, Yellowstone showrunner Taylor Sheridan is under incredible pressure to make the finale great. The neo-Western drama Yellowstone is closing in on its final installment, and for nearly a year, rumors have flown about whether the show’s lead actor would return after a conflict with the show’s creator. Following months of disagreement, Costner left the series, but almost immediately wanted to return, putting Sheridan in a bind.

Kevin Costner’s strange flipping of the script is enormously impactful on Yellowstone, which is setting up for its grand finale after five seasons. During the time when Costner’s role in Yellowstone was unknown, there were countless concerns about whether the series would be able to survive without its lead character. While some were confident that the rest of Yellowstone’s cast could carry the show, others felt that, without John Dutton, it simply wouldn’t be the same. Now, Costner’s request to return complicates matters even more. Sheridan is now the one who decides whether Costner stays or goes.

Kevin Costner Wanting A Yellowstone Return Means Taylor Sheridan Must Get Season 5’s Ending Right

Sheridan’s decision affects the entire Yellowstone ending

Now that Kevin Costner has publicly stated his desire to return to Yellowstone, Taylor Sheridan is in a tough place. Back when it was Costner wanting to cut ties with the series, Sheridan had a difficult but manageable task. His biggest trouble was trying to write an ending to Yellowstone without Kevin Costner. As previously mentioned, it was concerning, but not the end of the world. Now though, Sheridan is at a crossroads. Costner wants to return, and it is up to Sheridan to decide what to do. He could let Costner come back, or he could stand his ground.

Ultimately, whichever Sheridan chooses, he needs to make sure that that decision holds up. If Sheridan decides to go forward without Costner, he needs to prove that the show can still be great without John Dutton. The other characters will have to carry the weight of his absence while also bringing the series to a satisfying close. On the other hand, if he brings Costner back, he will have to use him to the best of his ability to make the Costner controversy worth it.

Either way, Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone finally needs to prove that he made the right decision.

Why Kevin Costner Isn’t Returning In Yellowstone Season 5, Part 2 Explained

Costner and Sheridan conflict explained

The primary reason why Kevin Costner left Yellowstone is due to conflicts with showrunner, Taylor Sheridan. One such problem is that Costner felt that he was not being paid enough by Sheridan for appearing in the final season of Yellowstone. Furthermore, Costner had scheduling issues with Sheridan as well. Costner wanted more time to focus on his passion project, a series of movies about the Civil War, Kevin Costner’s Horizon. On top of that, during this conflict, Costner was in the midst of a very public divorce. All in all, this led him to definitively leave Yellowstone.

There will be four Horizon movies in total.

If Kevin Costner is definitively out of Yellowstone season 5, part 2, that means that his character, John Dutton, will have to face a new fate. Various different avenues have been suggested for Dutton, including an off-screen death, a cross-country trip, or some other explanation for his absence. Regardless of what Sheridan chooses, if Costner cannot be on-screen, John Dutton can’t either. This is significant because Dutton is not only the main character of the series, but the patriarch of the entire Dutton clan. Without him, the ending could easily feel off-kilter and strange.

John Dutton’s Death Would Fully End Costner’s Yellowstone Hopes

John Dutton’s fate affects Costner’s

If Taylor Sheridan chooses to remove Kevin Costner from Yellowstone season 5, part 2, and decides to kill John Dutton to make the plot work, then that would ruin Costner’s hopes of returning to Yellowstone. While Costner made it clear that he would want to come back for Yellowstone season 5, part 2, he also mentioned that he would be interested in circling back to the franchise at some point, whether that is Yellowstone or another spinoff. However, if Sheridan kills John Dutton, then it isn’t likely that Costner can return, or at least not in the same capacity.

In this way, Yellowstone is in a strange position. It could go in many different directions. Taylor Sheridan could allow Kevin Costner to return, but that would not guarantee that the final installment would succeed. On the other hand, Sheridan could keep Costner out and prove that the series doesn’t need its main character. And finally, without Costner, there is still work to do when it comes to sticking the landing with the finale. Therefore, anticipation is high for what Yellowstone season 5, part 2 has to offer.