Why Luke Grimes Returned to Yellowstone for <em>Y: Marshals</em>

It’s not easy to leave a character behind, especially if you play a Dutton on Yellowstone. Need proof? Kevin Costner’s departure from the hit Western series on Paramount accelerated Yellowstone toward an early series finale and then launched what feels like a million spin-offs currently in development. One of those shows is Y: Marshals, a solo spin-off set to air on CBS in 2026 featuring Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton.

Y: Marshals will reportedly follow Kayce as he joins a new team of US Marshals in Montana comprised of both fresh faces and a few old friends. They’ll work to serve justice to an undercurrent of lawlessness in the state—which is likely far more crime than Montana has ever seen before.

When Yellowstone ended in December 2024, Grimes told me that he didn’t see a road for him to return in any spin-offs. “Hopefully everyone can see that it was time,” he said about the end of the show. “There’s always talks of spin-offs. I’d do it [but] I just don’t understand how it would work once the story ends. Kayce wants to cowboy and be happy with his family. He doesn’t want to kill people anymore. He doesn’t want the weight of a huge mega ranch that isn’t sustainable in today’s times. He wants his little slice of heaven. It’s that simple.”

Half a year later, Grimes is whistling a different tune. We spoke again recently for an interview about his role in Ari Aster’s new film, Eddington, when the actor told me that he was as surprised as we are to see him back as Kayce Dutton.

“Honestly, I did not think I was going to do it,” said Grimes. “They started flirting with the idea of doing a Kayce spin-off and I was like, ‘I don't know, guys.’ I thought it ended really well for him. We really took him through a full arc. He got what he wanted and went through hell to get it. So, let's just let him be, personally. I remember saying I didn’t know if it would make any sense. “

“There were a lot of ideas getting thrown around, and at some point, I heard a really good idea and that was kind of it,” he continued. “I thought, Actually, that opens up the world for him. And putting the hat and jacket back on isn't all that bad. I really liked playing that character. It was the most fulfilling job I've ever had in my life, so I'm happy not to say goodbye to him fully.”

Paramount has yet to set a release date for Y: Marshals, but the new Yellowstone series will likely join a new fleet of spin-offs including Dutton Ranch with Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly, The Madison with newcomers Matthew Fox and Michelle Pfeiffer, and another prequel titled 1944. Stay tuned.