The first official trailer for Y: Marshals, CBS’ highly anticipated Yellowstone spinoff, finally dropped — and while it delivers on action, intensity, and new characters, it leaves one haunting question hanging in the Montana air: What happened to Monica Dutton?

Luke Grimes returns as Kayce Dutton, broken and burdened after the emotional fallout from the Yellowstone finale. In a chilling voiceover, Kayce reflects on his grief: “I fought every day to get out of the weight of Yellowstone. I’ve lost my teammates, my parents, and even my brothers.” Viewers are shown a desolate grave site, presumably for one of the many lost loved ones, hinting at a devastating past that still lingers.

Kayce appears to be on a journey for redemption as he joins an elite U.S. Marshals unit — combining his skills as both a cowboy and a former Navy SEAL. The synopsis confirms that he’s trading ranching for tactical justice, where he and his new team must navigate the balance between family, duty, and the psychological cost of violence in the American West.

Among the key voices grounding Kayce’s moral struggle is Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham), who makes a surprise cameo to remind Kayce of his identity: “You’re a Dutton, born with killer instincts… but you are not a killer. You’re a protector.”

But it’s not just Rainwater’s words that stir questions — it’s what we don’t see that has fans on edge. There’s a notable absence of familiar Yellowstone faces like Beth (Kelly Reilly), Rip (Cole Hauser), and Jamie (Wes Bentley). Most glaring, however, is Monica Dutton, played by Kelsey Asbille. The trailer offers zero confirmation of her return, and her name is missing from the cast announcements.

So why is this absence causing such concern? In one brief shot, Kayce is still wearing his wedding ring. It’s a subtle but loaded visual. Does the ring mean Kayce and Monica are still together — perhaps long-distance? Or is he now a grieving widower, clinging to the last symbol of the life he lost?

Adding to the mystery, Kayce’s son Tate (Brecken Merrill) appears for just a split second in the trailer — far too brief to reveal anything about his fate or his mother’s. This ambiguity seems deliberate, designed to fuel speculation heading into the show’s premiere on March 1, 2026.

While Y: Marshals introduces fresh faces like Arielle Kebbel, Tatanka Means, and Logan Marshall-Green, the emotional core of Kayce’s story still revolves around family — both found and fractured. And fans won’t rest until they know whether Monica is part of that future or part of a tragic past.

What do YOU think happened to Monica? Will she return — or is her absence the key to Kayce’s darkest chapter yet?