SECRET REVEALED: Yellowstone fans are NOT happy that John Dutton is leaving – will he be back in the spin-off?
Yellowstone fans have been left seriously confused after Kevin Costner‘s name appeared in the opening credits of season five part two despite the A-lister no longer being part of the cast.
The beloved western drama finally returned on Sunday night and revealed Costner’s character John Dutton had seemingly died by suicide off screen, tying up the actor’s exit.
Although Costner, 69, has nothing to do with the show anymore, he is still the first cast member named in the opening sequence.
On top of that, he also appears in the end credits as an executive producer.
Viewers were baffled as to why Costner’s name appeared at the top of the show’s opening credits given that he did not appear in the episode.
One pointed out: ‘They still listed Kevin Costner in the intro after that first 15 minutes…’
Another asked: ‘How is Kevin Costner still in the opening credits and they just offed him in the first two mins?’
A third noted: ‘Yellowstone killed John Dutton but @kevincostnerprv is on the opening credits!’
‘Kevin Costner is still listed first in the acting credits. Huh?’ observed a fourth.
Echoing a similar sentiment, a fifth added: ‘Why does the #Yellowstone intro still say Kevin Costner?’
DailyMail.com has contacted Paramount for comment.
Yellowstone viewers were furious after it was learned that Costner’s character John appeared to take his own life in the show’s hotly anticipated episode nine, though they would come to realize that it was actually a murder set up to look like a suicide.
While Costner doesn’t appear in the episode, audiences see a dead body lying on the floor alongside a gun.
As the episode progresses, it’s revealed that Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri), the girlfriend of estranged Dutton sibling Jamie (Wes Bentley) put the hit out on John.
Costner confirmed in June that he would not appear at all in season five part two, in a video he posted to Instagram.
‘I want to reach out and let you know that after this long year and a half of working on Horizon and doing all the things that’s required, and thinking about Yellowstone, that beloved series that I love, that I know you love, I just realized that I’m not going to be able to continue Season 5B or into the future,’ he said.
‘It was something that really changed me. I loved it. And I know you loved it. And I just wanted to let you know that I won’t be returning and I love the relationship we’ve been able to develop and I’ll see you at the movies,’ he added.
News first started to spread about Costner potentially leaving the show in 2023, amid rumors of a rift between the actor and series creator Taylor Sheridan.
Costner’s attorney Marty Singer also denied rumors that he refused to film the second half of season five for more than just one week.
‘The idea that Kevin was only willing to work one week on the second half of season five of Yellowstone is an absolute lie,’ Singer said last summer.
‘It’s ridiculous — and anyone suggesting it shouldn’t be believed for one second,’ he added.
The filming reportedly conflicted with Costner’s plans to direct his first movie in 20 years – Horizon – the first in a planned four-part Western movie series.
In an interview with CBS News Sunday, however, Costner said that he did not leave Yellowstone to film his western movie Horizon.
‘I did everything that I was contracted to do with Yellowstone.’
Asked whether he would like to go back to the Paramount Network show, he added: ‘Yeah, if I like the story, where it was going, I would go back.’
