Yellowstone Returns in 2026: Three Spinoffs Ride Into the Sunset, But Only One Feels Like the True Sequel
The End of Yellowstone, The Dawn of a New Era
After Yellowstone ended in 2024 with Kevin Costner’s controversial departure, fans were left wondering how Taylor Sheridan’s neo-Western empire would continue. Now, the answer has arrived — not with one, but three new spinoffs set to premiere in 2026.
Each series explores a different corner of the Yellowstone universe, from Kayce Dutton’s new path as a U.S. Marshal to Beth and Rip’s rugged new ranch life, and even a fresh story outside the Dutton family entirely.
But while all three aim to expand Sheridan’s world, only one truly feels like Yellowstone’s beating heart.
Beth and Rip Ride Again: The Dutton Ranch
If there’s one spinoff that feels like the rightful heir to Yellowstone, it’s The Dutton Ranch — a Paramount+ series centered on Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser).
After selling the family ranch to the Broken Rock Reservation in Yellowstone’s final season, Beth and Rip left Montana behind with their adopted son, Carter (Finn Little). Now, the couple is rebuilding their legacy on a new ranch far from the chaos that defined their lives under John Dutton’s rule.
Beth’s sharp intellect and Rip’s quiet ferocity will again anchor the story, balancing the idyllic rhythms of cowboy life with their signature volatility. Expect love, violence, and no shortage of Beth’s razor-sharp one-liners.
Annette Bening joins the cast as a powerful rival who could become Beth’s newest nemesis, while Carter’s budding romance with Oreana (Natalie Alyn Lind) threatens to test his parents’ patience — and control.
Why it works: The Dutton Ranch captures the same spirit that made Yellowstone a phenomenon: loyalty, legacy, and love on the edge of destruction.
Kayce’s New Frontier: Y: Marshals
Over on CBS, Luke Grimes reprises his role as Kayce Dutton in Y: Marshals, a 13-episode procedural that trades the ranch for the open road.
The series follows Kayce as he leaves ranch life behind to join an elite U.S. Marshals unit, combining his Navy SEAL experience with his sense of frontier justice. Set across the rugged terrain of Montana, the show promises intense action and moral complexity as Kayce battles crime, corruption, and his own conscience.
Spencer Hudnut (SEAL Team) serves as showrunner, steering the spinoff in a more procedural direction than Sheridan’s signature serialized storytelling.
Returning from Yellowstone are Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham) and Mo (Mo Brings Plenty), ensuring ties to Kayce’s past remain strong. However, Kelsey Asbille’s Monica is notably absent from the cast list — a decision that’s already dividing fans.
Why it’s different: Y: Marshals is more Justified than Yellowstone, shifting focus from family legacy to law enforcement grit. It’s a risk — but one CBS hopes will capture a wider audience.
A New Frontier: The Madison
The third spinoff, The Madison, represents a bold new chapter for Sheridan’s universe. Starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Ed Harris, and Kurt Russell, it follows a wealthy New York family who move to Montana’s Madison River Valley — unaware of the dark history embedded in the land they’ve bought.
While it’s set in the same geographical universe as Yellowstone, The Madison isn’t about the Duttons at all. Instead, it explores what happens when outsiders bring their own brand of chaos into the heart of the American West.
Why it’s a gamble: This series flips Yellowstone’s central conflict — instead of defending the land, newcomers become part of what John Dutton spent his life fighting against. It’s ambitious, but it risks alienating fans craving that Dutton family drama.
The Risk of Expansion
Sheridan’s 1883 and 1923 prequels succeeded because they deepened the Dutton mythology with historical grandeur. But with three modern-day spinoffs arriving in quick succession, Yellowstone risks brand fatigue.
Fans fell in love with the fiery dynamic between Beth, Rip, and Kayce — three flawed but loyal souls bound by blood, pain, and land. Splitting that chemistry across multiple shows could dilute what made Yellowstone unforgettable.
The Verdict: The Dutton Ranch Is the Soul of Yellowstone
While Y: Marshals and The Madison push the saga into new territory, The Dutton Ranch remains the most authentic continuation of Sheridan’s vision.
It has the familiar fire, the moral grayness, and the volatile romance that defined the original series. Beth and Rip may be far from the Yellowstone ranch, but they’re still fighting for their version of it — and that’s what keeps the legend alive.
Because in the world of Yellowstone, the land may change, but the fight never ends.