Forget Kevin Costner’s Replacement, Beth & Rip’s Yellowstone Spinoff Already Has John Dutton’s Best Successor

As production falls into place for Beth and Rip’s Yellowstone spinoff, there’s a buzz that it’s casting a replacement for Kevin Costner’s character, but the love birds’ story already has John Dutton’s true successor. Puck’s What I’m Hearing newsletter reports Yellowstone’s offshoot is looking for someone like Costner to join Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser, who will reprise Beth and Rip, respectively. The report also confirmed that production would be underway this summer, likely building on Beth and Rip’s Yellowstone season 5 ending.

A pattern guides Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone characters, and replacing Kevin Costner’s patriarch maintains it. Yellowstone and its prequels have older, wiser figures to guide the younger generation, with Beth and Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar) sharing the spotlight with characters played by tested stars like Costner and Harrison Ford, who plays Jacob Dutton in 1923. While it will be interesting to see John Dutton’s replacement, Beth and Rip’s Yellowstone spinoff should prioritize its existing characters to build on Sheridan’s legacy of Yellowstone’s character-driven ensemble.