Yellowstone: Wes Bentley Responds to Kevin Costner Exit Rumors

Bentley continued, “That’s the loss of the pedestal [John was on]. The deity is gone. I think that’s why Jamie’s choosing to try to have him killed.”

As for the potential of loss of Costner, Deadline reported it all came down to Costner’s desire to spend less time shooting the mega-hit western. The outlet said the network and Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan are currently planning on moving the show in a new direction, with Matthew McConaughey as the new series lead.

“We have no news to report,” a Paramount Network spokesperson told E! News at the time. “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.”

The spokesperson added, “Matthew McConaughey is a phenomenal talent with whom we’d love to partner.”