At this point, many are assuming that Kevin Costner likely won’t return as John Dutton for the final episodes of Yellowstone. For months, alleged drama has filled the air about disputes between the lead actor and the show, so it’s been alleged that the patriarch would simply be written out of the show. However, it’s important to note that even if Costner is written out, John Dutton likely won’t be, and Josh Lucas made that clear.
As a refresher, Josh Lucas plays the young version of John Dutton (as you can see below) in the Yellowstone cast. While he’s not in the show as much as Costner, when there is a flashback on the show, and there are many, he typically is in them. To this point, Lucas was asked by Deadline if he’s returning for Season 5 of Yellowstone, and he said:
As far as I know…I did text Taylor [Sheridan] a couple of months back and said, ‘Hey man, I’ve loved working on the show so much. He’s like, ‘Well we’ll be back and we’re going to finish.’
The audio in the video of Lucas talking cut out right as he said “As far as I know,” however, he made it clear that he wants to come back and he’s looking forward to probably playing John again. Speaking a bit about the upcoming season that’s expected to premiere toward the end of the 2024 TV schedule, the actor teased how long Season 5B will be, explaining:
I think we’re going to do ten or so more episodes and wrap up the story. Obviously, it’s a job that is incredible. To be out there on horses riding amazing territory. I love doing the show.
So despite Yellowstone reportedly being in chaos due to rumors regarding Kevin Costner, whether he’s there or not, his character will continue to live through, at the bare minimum, flashbacks.
For context, it’s been reported over many months that Costner was not happy about his shooting schedule for Season 5B, among other things. During his divorce hearings, he even said he’d “probably go court” over everything that’s gone down with his deal for the final episodes of Yellowstone, explaining that while there were negotiations, “there were issues about creative.” When he “tried to break a logjam. They walked away.”
It sounds like our other John Dutton, Josh Lucas, has had no issues with coming back to Yellowstone. In fact, based on these new quotes from him, he can’t wait to get back in the saddle.
So, whether Kevin Costner returns or not, one thing seems fairly certain: We will be getting John Dutton in Season 5B of Yellowstone. That’s because Josh Lucas said that, as far as he knows, he’s set to return as the younger version of the Dutton patriarch.