Kevin Costner announced on June 21, 2024, that he would not return to Yellowstone for season 5B or any future episodes. Costner played John Dutton, the family patriarch. Season 5B was the second half of the show’s fifth and final season.
What Costner announced
Costner shared his decision in an Instagram video on June 20, 2024; CBS News reported it the following morning. “I just realized that I’m not going to be able to continue Season 5b or into the future,” he said. He added: “I just wanted to let you know that I won’t be returning.” CBS News, June 21, 2024
![Yellowstone: The Complete Series [Blu-Ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51-olhTtb+L._SL160_.jpg)
![Yellowstone - The Complete Series [Blu-Ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/613C97v+QkL._SL160_.jpg)
“5B” referred to the second half of the fifth and final season. Its production had been delayed by the writers’ and actors’ strikes. Paramount Network’s 2024 broadcast date for those episodes was November 10; season 5B began airing that day. ABC News, June 21, 2024; Associated Press, November 6, 2024
Why Costner said he was leaving
In his announcement, Costner connected the decision to the demands of working on Horizon: An American Saga over the preceding year and a half, saying he had realized he could not continue Yellowstone. In a June 27, 2024, interview on CBS Mornings, he described the difficulty of managing the projects and said people “ran through deadlines.” He also said, “‘Yellowstone’ was my first priority.” CBS News, June 21 and June 27, 2024
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Costner said he had completed everything he was contracted to do on the series. Those comments explain how he described the situation; they do not establish speculation about private negotiations or personal conflicts as the cause of his departure.
How his earlier comments fit the timeline
In a May 2024 interview with the Associated Press, Costner said he was open to returning, depending on the scripts. He described the show fondly: “‘Yellowstone’ was really important in my life. I really loved that world and what we were able to do in five seasons.” Associated Press, May 2024
Rank #2
That conditional openness came before his June announcement that he would not continue in season 5B or beyond. Later in June, he said a return was still possible if he liked the writing and the part: “I’ve never missed any obligations in my entire career. So the idea [of returning] is wide open for me. It just happens to be, can I fall in love with the writing? Can I fall in love with the part to go forward?” CBS News, June 27, 2024
His remarks reflect different moments and conditions, not a promise to return. His June 21 announcement gave the answer for the episodes then approaching: he would not be in season 5B.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Genre: Drama
- Number of Discs: 4
- Number of Tracks: 0
- Rating: NR
- Movie Title: Yellowstone: Season Five Part 1
Rank #4
- Includes all 53 episodes and over 19 hours of special features, with interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and more.
Rank #3
![Yellowstone (2018–2024) : The complete Series (53 Episodes / 5 Seasons) - [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61oWOTYRQvL._SL160_.jpg)
- Region 1/A Blu-ray
- 1080pHD
- Dolbydigital
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