Luke Grimes Explains That Kevin Costner Leaving Yellowstone Was “Just Another Hump to Get Over” During Final Season

It's that time of year again - the nights are drawing in, the “hot cocoa” portion of our weekly budgets is getting worryingly large, and all we want to do with our evenings is curl up on the sofa and dive into some comfort TV. But this November, unlike last year, we don't have any new Yellowstone episodes to dig our teeth into.

Taylor Sheridan's neo-Western behemoth reached its bloody, dramatic conclusion last Fall, with the Dutton family's ongoing struggle against their neighbouring enemies - and modernity as a whole - coming to a head in Season 5 Part 2.

During the two-year gap between Part 1 and 2, while fans were missing the on-screen drama of Yellowstone, they were instead given rumours of an array of behind-the-scenes clashes - primarily between the show's star, Kevin Costner, and Sheridan.

Of course, each party has their own side of the story, but the crux of the issue seemingly stemmed from Costner's filming schedule for his expensive Horizon film series. Costner maintains that he made every effort to move and mould his Horizon schedule so that he could feature in Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2, while various reports have suggested that the Yellowstone team felt his priorities had strayed.

Regardless of who was in the right, Costner was a no-show for Part 2, which (spoiler alert) led to Sheridan deciding to kill his character, John Dutton, at the start of the final season. Fans criticised the somewhat demeaning manner of his on-screen death - being found face-down in the restroom - and accused Sheridan as using this as a way of getting back at Costner. We're not sure Sheridan would be this petty, but there's no question the death was very sudden, and did feel like an unfitting end for a character as loved and defiant as John Dutton.

When chatting to Holler about the various challenges faced when filming the final season of Yellowstone, Luke Grimes - who plays John's son, Kayce Dutton, the reluctant heir to the Dutton throne - explained that, although it was difficult shooting with Costner, ultimately, it was just another hurdle in a very, very long list.

He stresses, nonetheless, that it's been an incredibly rewarding experience, “It's one of the most fulfilling things I've ever done, playing Kayce in the show”, before candidly reflecting, “But it's been a challenge every single year. It feels like every year there's been something pushing against us. You know, whether it was COVID, or the strikes - it's been a challenge to do every season for some huge reason”.

The ‘God and a Girl’ singer-songwriter goes on, “So this season, it felt like it was just another challenge - but we were able to do it. It's a miracle that the show was able to stay the course through all of that. [Kevin Costner] leaving was just another hump to get over”. He expresses his admiration for Sheridan in how he handled the eventual conclusion to the Yellowstone story, “I think Taylor wrote it beautifully, and we executed it. I think the fans will be very, very happy with the ending”.

Without giving the game away completely for those who are yet to watch the final series of Yellowstone (and if you haven't - get a move on! It's Stranger Things season, now...), Grimes is right in saying that the ending did feel wonderfully full-circle, tying in satisfyingly with the seven-generation arc that was started in 1883.

Both 1883 and 1923 have been powerful, visceral additions to the Yellowstone universe, with the limited-series format giving Sheridan the opportunity to get much more poetic with his storylines, compared to the fast-paced, high-octane nature of Yellowstone.

There are a host of additional spin-offs reportedly in the works, including Dutton Ranch, which will resume the irresistible love-story between Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser), along with The Madison, following an entirely new family in Montana.

One spin-off we're particularly excited to watch, though, is Y:Marshals, which sees Grimes reprising his role as Kayce Dutton. The first teaser trailer was released in September, with the highly anticipated series expected to air in the first months of 2026.

When we spoke to Grimes, before Y:Marshals was announced, he was coy about the prospect of stepping back into Kayce's boots, “As far as Yellowstone spin-offs and all that, as of right now, no”, before teasing, “You never know what can happen. But as of right now, Kayce's story has ended - and ended well - and it's back to the drawing board. I'm actually really excited about having a little bit of open road for the first time in a while, and not knowing what's coming up on the on the acting side. I'm very excited, and I feel very good about that”.

It'll be fascinating to see which other characters from Yellowstone feature in Y:Marshals, with a handful already confirmed (see the full list here). Unfortunately, at the moment, Kelsey Asbille - who plays Kayce's wife, Monica - will not appear.

Either way, it's proof that there's plenty of room still for the Yellowstone universe to grow - at least until Sheridan makes his TV move to NBCUniversal in 2028...

We're also holding out hope that Grimes, who continues to make a name for himself in the country music sphere, as well as in Hollywood, will have a new album for us next year, following his celebrated self-titled debut, which arrived in March 2024.

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