‘Yellowstone’s Replacement for Kevin Costner Has Officially Been Revealed

There was never really going to be another John Dutton. Whatever people thought about him, Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone patriarch was the engine of that original series for years, and the whole world of the ranch was built around his presence. That is why one of the biggest questions hanging over Marshals was always going to be who, if anyone, would take over that larger role now that John is gone. The answer is not Kayce.

It is Thomas Rainwater. Marshals, the new Yellowstone spin-off centered on Luke Grimes’ Kayce Dutton, has already brought back several familiar faces from the flagship series, including Gil Birmingham as Thomas Rainwater, Mo Brings Plenty as Mo, and Brecken Merrill as Tate Dutton. But while Kayce remains central to the story, the show has now made it pretty clear that Thomas is the one stepping into the old “protector of the land” role that once belonged to John Dutton.

The difference is that Thomas is not trying to preserve the Dutton legacy. He is protecting the land for a different reason, and from a different history. But the role he now occupies in the wider story is strikingly similar. He is the one making ruthless decisions. He is the one standing between development and the valley.

How Good Is ‘Marshals’?

Collider’s review stated that Marshals made the smart move of not trying to be a direct Yellowstone sequel, sidling instead into a network TV-style series that gives Kayce a new beginning — even if the transition comes with some growing pains to begin with. Michael John Petty acknowledged the limitations of network television — less grit, occasional repetitive dialogue, and tighter 42-minute pacing — but suggested that the format ultimately suits Kayce’s story better than the sprawling soap-operatic tone of Yellowstone.

“Marshals is a neo-Western that is chock-full of potential. It’s action-packed, thrilling, and full of everything you could ask for in a Kayce Dutton-led series that fights hard to divorce itself from the ‘Y’ that still lingers in the background. It’s not perfect, nor does it claim to be, but once it gets through the initial growing pains, it will be able to stand firmly on its own. The chemistry between Grimes and [Logan] Marshall-Green is exactly what the bond between two ex-SEALs should be, and it’s not hard to like the rest of the Marshals cast as well, especially as we begin to learn more about them.”

Marshals airs at 8PM on CBS every Sunday, and streams on Paramount+.