Can 'Yellowstone' endure without Kevin Costner's Dutton?

The "Yellowstone" finale is approaching quickly, and viewers wonder if Kevin Costner will reappear as John Dutton. Although the actor has officially left the cast, Christina Voros hinted in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that his character still plays a significant role in the upcoming episodes.

"His presence is integral. I think to say any more than that would potentially compromise all the work that went into redacting the scripts!" Voros said in the interview. When asked about the plan without Costner, the director, who directed four out of the last six episodes, responded: "He is the patriarch and his presence is an essential component to the story. John Dutton is still central."

The fifth season's production was kept secret on a Marvel level. Voros revealed that the scripts were so heavily edited that "half of the cast doesn't know what will happen." She became a "gatekeeper" herself, ensuring that actors received only the scenes they were in, which helped preserve genuine reactions and protect the plot from leaks.

The series returns at a critical moment when John Dutton faces a climactic family conflict. John and his daughter Beth are on one side, and on the other is his son Jamie, which promises an intense battle. "It’s always about the family banding together to fight for the land, to fight for the Dutton name," Voros emphasizes.

However, the director doesn't want the finale to be too predictable. "You want to leave them wanting more. A conclusion like this needs to feel satisfying, but you don’t want people to not miss Beth or Rip or Kayce," she notes. Voros admits it's hard to please everyone, but leaving room for speculation is exciting.

The final season of "Yellowstone" will debut on November 14 on SkyShowtime.