Kevin Costner Leaving "Yellowstone" Might Be A Good Thing For The Series

There's no need for "Yellowstone" fans to panic amid speculation Kevin Costner's time on the series might be ending.

The face of the western series has been engulfed by chaos for months, and things really went to a new level this week.

His wife is divorcing him, a new report claims he's done with the series at the end of season five and an unnamed person close to him denied a pregnancy rumor nobody even knew existed.

The man who plays John Dutton just can't seem to stay out of the mud these days. That's not to say it's his fault. It's just the way it is.

If the end of the John Dutton era on "Yellowstone" is near, is it something fans should worry about? The answer might surprise you.

Kevin Costner walking away from "Yellowstone" might be a good thing.

The reality of the situation is Kevin Costner leaving "Yellowstone" could let Taylor Sheridan hit the reset button if the show doesn't just pack up and end.

That's also entirely possible. There's been chatter season five will be the last one. I really hope that's not true as a fan of the western saga.

Usually, the face of a TV franchise leaving is a death sentence for the series. A rare example of when it wasn't was "The Office." The ensemble cast was so strong that Steve Carell leaving could be survived.

Will Kevin Costner leave "Yellowstone"? (Credit: Paramount Network)

I think the same is true for "Yellowstone." There's simply too much talent for the show to fail just because Kevin Costner is done.

Costner's exit also opens up plenty of new storylines. How is he going to exit? Will John Dutton be murdered? Die of natural causes? My money is on a violent death, but you never know.

Once he's killed off, Taylor Sheridan could write an entire new war between different factions that could last a couple more seasons. Imagine if Beth dies too! We're really cooking with gas now.

Will Kevin Costner continue to play John Dutton? (Credit: Paramount Network)

The series could use a boost.

It's also worth noting "Yellowstone" seems to have taken a little heat off its fastball. Seasons one through three were all incredible, and the third season gave fans an all-time great cliffhanger.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic threw a major wrench into the plans for season four, and the decline was noticeable. Season five, while strong, is still not as great as any of the first three.

John Dutton's future on "Yellowstone" remains murky. (Credit: Paramount Network)

Sometimes, a championship winning roster needs to make a trade or cut a guy in order to bring in some new energy. Kevin Costner leaving could be that injection of life the Taylor Sheridan creation needs to get back to where it was before COVID derailed things a bit. It's still great, but the first three seasons were like watching Michael Jordan in his prime. They were unbeatable.

Now, "Yellowstone" is still a championship caliber show that is definitely capable of losing to a great opponent.

There's no known return date for season five, and it's not clear when cameras will even start rolling again. However, there's no reason to panic. Taylor Sheridan is the most powerful creative mind in Hollywood. If Kevin Costner exits and the show continues, I have complete faith in Sheridan to give fans a journey that remains worth watching. It might turn out to be a net positive. Just don't panic. Trust the process and trust in the rest of the cast and Sheridan!