Is Matthew McConaughey replacing Kevin Costner on Yellowstone?

Yellowstone has been dealing with behind the scenes drama publicly since news broke that there has been tension over Kevin Costner’s conflicting schedule with production. The back half of season 5, which is supposed to premiere in the summer, has been left in limbo with filming still not underway and there’s also no word on when the season is set to wrap.

As the Costner news began to make the rounds so, too, did an announcement that Matthew McConaughey will be joining the franchise’s ever growing universe. It’s left folks wondering what his role will be and whether or not the actor will be replacing Costner. Here’s what we know!

Is Matthew McConaughey replacing Kevin Costner on Yellowstone?

No, McConaughey isn’t coming into Yellowstone universe to be the new lead of the flagship series. He’s been cast in an unnamed spin-off that’ll expand the franchise.

Will Kevin Costner be in Yellowstone season 5’s back half?

Whether Costner will return for the rest of season 5 is up in the air. TVLine‘s reporting around McConaughey’s casting and the dilemma with Costner’s shooting schedule seems to suggest that it’s possible fans could be looking at season 5B without John Dutton.

Is Kevin Costner leaving Yellowstone?

For right now, it doesn’t look like it. ViacomCBS president Chris McCarthy reportedly stated the show “wouldn’t be what it is today without Kevin and we hope that that stays [the case] for a long time to come.” However, whether Costner returns to Yellowstone won’t have any bearing on the McConaughey-led project that’s been greenlit.

Is Yellowstone ending?

There’s clearly intent on continuing the series, and there’s been no announcements to season 5 being the last season, but if Costner decides that he’d like to focus on other projects like his Horizon film, there could be a cast shakeup in the show’s future. We’ll keep you posted.