Kevin Costner, former star of Yellowstone, has shared his thoughts — rather, the fact that he hasn’t thought much — about the show’s final episode. In a chat with the Daily Mail, Costner admitted he hasn’t really thought about the finale since it aired on December 15, 2024.
He said:
“I’m not thinking about [the Yellowstone finale]. I don’t think I’ve given it any thoughts. We’ll just let it go.”
Costner’s comments have generated a buzz because his character, John Dutton, was an important part of the show before a surprising exit.
Costner left in the middle of Season 5 because of scheduling issues with his movie series Horizon: An American Saga, which shocked fans. The sudden death of John Dutton in the first episode of Season 5 Part 2, along with Costner’s indifferent response to the show’s ending, has made people even more curious about how the popular Western drama wrapped up.
This article explores Costner’s statement, why he left the show, and the lasting impact of Yellowstone, one of TV’s most-watched series.
Kevin Costner’s reaction to the Yellowstone finale
Costner’s indifferent response to the Yellowstone finale has attracted a lot of attention. In an interview with the Daily Mail, the actor admitted he hasn’t watched the final episode, adding that he did not feel emotionally connected to how the show ended.
This detachment might be due to his difficult exit during the production of Season 5, where disagreements over creative choices and scheduling clashes with his upcoming Horizon movies played a big part.
Costner has previously shared his disappointment over how his character was handled. In a November interview on SiriusXM’s The Michael Smerconish Program, he revealed he only found out about John Dutton’s fate after the episode aired.
“I didn’t see it,” he said.
He also mentioned that the idea of his character committing suicide didn’t sit well with him. Costner hinted that he had suggested different endings for John Dutton earlier in the series, but the show’s creators didn’t take them into account.
Kevin Costner’s exit led to John Dutton’s death in Yellowstone
Costner’s exit from Yellowstone was one of the most heated moments in the show’s history. The actor claimed the production team changed the filming schedule to suit their needs, which clashed with his work on Horizon.
This caused a standoff and, in the end, the character did not feature in the second half of Yellowstone Season 5. Taylor Sheridan, creator of the show, decided to write John Dutton’s death in a way that didn’t require Costner to be on set since he wasn’t available to film.
Luke Grimes, who plays Kayce Dutton, later said Costner’s absence helped ease some tension during filming.
“There was a part of Kevin being gone that meant some of the conflict was gone,” Grimes told Esquire.
Despite the debates, the last episode of the show reached an all-time high of 11.4 million viewers, as reported by Paramount’s VideoAmp data. This cements the show's place as one of TV’s most beloved dramas.
Kevin Costner’s ongoing passion for Westerns
Although Costner has left Yellowstone, his love for Western stories hasn’t faded. His Horizon: An American Saga project is a grand, multi-movie series he’s determined to keep going, despite a shaky start.
The first movie didn’t do well in theaters, making just $38 million upon release in June 2024. However, the film's strong performance in video-on-demand sales has given Costner hope for the franchise.
The second part debuted at the 81st Venice International Film Festival and is scheduled for commercial release in 2025, with two more films in the works. As Costner pushes forward with Horizon, Taylor Sheridan is also growing the show’s world with spin-offs like 1923 and 1883.
Although Costner’s time with the Dutton family has ended, the show is doing very well.
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You can watch all episodes of Yellowstone on Peacock.
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