Back in 2023, Taylor Sheridan shared some insights into the process of creating Yellowstone. He detailed his time getting the would-be-

Paramount show off the ground, and this story feels critical to what the show’s legacy has now become. Yellowstone’s ending was divisive, so it’s worth wondering what could have been.

 

 

Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone is one of the most iconic TV shows of the century, and its lead character was almost played by a different actor. Kevin Costner led Yellowstone’s cast for five-and-a-half seasons before departing from the project. The show launched Taylor Sheridan into fame, making him one of the most accomplished writer/producers of all time.

Given how synonymous Kevin Costner has become with John Dutton to modern television audiences, it’s almost shocking that another veteran star almost played him. Like Costner, the great Robert Redford had his share of Western experience, having starred in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid back in 1969.

 

 

With one of the all-time classic Western movies under his belt, Redford could have been exceptional as John Dutton. He may have nearly two decades on Kevin Costner, but he’s still a legendary film star, and, at that point, Yellowstone was likely shaping out to be a different project from where it ended up.

Yellowstone’s legacy was divisive before all the behind-the-scenes drama regarding Kevin Costner, but now it’s hard to speak about John Dutton without getting into the controversy. He’s likely among the most controversial iconic TV characters of all time, given what he represented, what the show represented, and how his story ended.

Kevin Costner’s departure from Yellowstone wasn’t the ideal situation for anyone involved and forced the series to come to a conclusion that felt forced, rather than what Sheridan likely planned for. Even before that, Dutton was a unique entry to the American TV antihero protagonists category, given how many viewers related to his ideologies.