Why Kevin Costner Left Yellowstone, Explained

Even with earlier successful works under his belt, Taylor Sheridan was brought out of the shadows thanks to his first and extremely successful show Yellowstone released back in 2018.

Starring Kevin Costner in the leading role, the series paved the way for a long-standing chain of prequels and spinoffs exploring every corner of the Dutton family’s history. Still, it might have not been an option that important to consider until Costner announced his departure from Yellowstone.

The hit show eventually wrapped it up soon after the announcement, possibly making it way sooner than initially planned by Sheridan, though Costner, apparently, had his own reasons too.

How Kevin Costner Explained His Departure From Yellowstone

With the show concluding in December last year, the actor let his fans know about the abrupt decision beforehand, several months prior to the last part’s premiere.

“I want 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, that beloved series that I love, that I know you love, I just realized that I’m not going to be able to continue Season 5B or into the future”, Costner said in an Instagram video posted in June.

However, the actor didn’t forget to acknowledge Sheridan’s series that has become a major part of his acting career.

“And I just wanted to let you know that I won’t be returning and I love the relationship we’ve been able to develop and I’ll see you at the movies”, he continued then.

How Did Taylor Sheridan React to Costner’s Exit?

In June 2023, Sheridan revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that he was “disappointed” that Costner left.

“It truncates the closure of his character. It doesn’t alter it, but it truncates it,” Sheridan said.

What Yellowstone Fans Think About Costner’s Decision

Back in the day, the news came as an obvious sign of things coming to its unplanned ending.

“Yellowstone without Costner is going to be like The Office without Carell”, Redditor Tiberius_Jim stated in a thread, supported by many others who also claimed that “there is no Yellowstone without him”.

“Sheridan is gonna sink the whole thing. When this all went down he was involved with 2 movies and no less than 6 shows. In many cases acting as writer, creator, producer, show runner, and director. Dude needs to learn to delegate”, xNOOPSx pointed out, predicting Yellowstone’s eventual wrap after season 5.

How Many Seasons Are in Yellowstone & Where to Watch Them?

Yellowstone ended in December 2024 after five seasons. All of them are available for streaming on Peacock.