Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan finally reveals why Kevin Costner left the show. The actor announced his departure from Yellowstone following the release of the first half of Season 5.

What did Taylor Sheridan say about Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone exit?

Since his departure, fans have wondered why Costner announced he wouldn’t be coming back to star in any more Yellowstone seasons. Taylor Sheridan has now finally opened up about the matter. Speaking in a recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast (via Entertainment Weekly), Sheridan said, “That was in his contract. In my mind, that’s when his youngest son takes over…  But the network was so scared of not having Kevin be a part of it. Even though Kevin was ready, he was ready to go.”

The Yellowstone creator revealed Costner originally wanted to leave much earlier because he “had other things he wanted to do, but stayed on for another two seasons”.

Sheridan added more context to Costner’s departure from the series. At the time, he was focused on creating Horizon: An American Saga, whose filming schedule conflicted with that of Yellowstone. Sheridan hinted at the same, adding, “Finally, Kevin hit a point where he’s like, ‘I gotta do my own thing. I gotta do my own thing too. But we had originally conceived it together that it was three seasons and then the baton is handed.”

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“I wonder if that wouldn’t have been better for the show because we had to tread water for a bit there,” said Sheridan, talking about the show’s original plan. “I think it was pretty evident.”

Kevin Costner played the lead role in the series, portraying John Dutton III, the head of the Dutton family. Following the show’s finale, the Yellowstone universe has continued to expand with multiple finished and ongoing spin-offs. These include 1883, 1923, and the currently ongoing series Marshals and Dutton Ranch.

Sheridan has since continued to create new shows outside the Yellowstone universe, including The Madison, Lioness, and more.