Wes Bentley has some grist for the Yellowstone rumor mill, and fans may be uneasy about what the actor has to say. Amid reports that Kevin Costner is poised to depart the hit Paramount drama due to scheduling conflicts, Bentley has stated that he's "thought about" the possibility of the series killing off Costner's John Dutton.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for 'Yellowstone' Seasons 3-5
In a new interview with TVLine, Bentley, who plays Jamie Dutton, the adopted son of Costner's patriarch, reveals that he's long pondered what a father-less future for his character would look like.
Kevin Costner's John Dutton and Wes Bentley's Jamie Dutton on Yellowstone. (Paramount Network)
"I thought about this in Season 1 because it's always a possibility in TV, right?" Bentley told TVLine of Costner's potential demise. "We're always ready to die... [And John] really has got this hypnotic pull on Jamie."
John Dutton's on-screen death would be the only real way to write off Kevin Costner's iconic rancher (a role which landed the actor a Golden Globe award just last month) off the show. But it would also serve as a cherry on top of the fraught relationship between Jamie and his father in Season 5 — especially if Jamie is the one responsible for John's demise.
"The deity is gone," Bentley said of John's fall from grace. "I think that's why Jamie's choosing to try to have [John] killed. Life would be much better without him, which is a big change for Jamie."
In Yellowstone's earlier seasons, Jamie may have mourned the loss of his less-than-model father. But John's recent actions have proved to be salt in Jamie's long-festering wounds, says Bentley.
"After John ran for governor and became the thing he said he hated, Jamie started to have a change of perspective," Bentley told the outlet. "Maybe John is not this tough guy he says he is. Maybe John doesn't have ideas. Maybe he's just another guy like the rest of them."
If Yellowstone has taught us anything, it's that there's no rest for the weary or the wicked. John Dutton doesn't get to ride off into the sunset — and Yellowstone may not be able to bow out gracefully, either.
Reports earlier this month of Costner's potential exit have also hinted at an abrupt end to the series after Season 5, which will premiere its second half sometime this summer, or after a sixth and final season. The fate of cable's No. 1 show seemingly hangs in the balance, with still other rumors suggesting that Matthew McConaughey could lead a Yellowstone spinoff, or take top billing in the flagship series itself.
According to Paramount, nothing is set in stone just yet.
"We have no news to report," a Paramount Network spokesperson told Deadline in February. "Kevin Costner is a big part of Yellowstone and we hope that's the case for a long time to come. Thanks to the brilliant mind of Taylor Sheridan, we are always working on franchise expansions of this incredible world he has built. Matthew McConaughey is a phenomenal talent with whom we'd love to partner."
