Forget Kevin Costner, Kayce Dutton Is the New Face of Yellowstone

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I was a huge fan of Kevin Costner as John Dutton in Yellowstone for five seasons, but I’m really excited about the new direction the franchise is taking with Marshals! It’s awesome that they’re bringing Luke Grimes back as Kayce Dutton, and it’s so cool to see him leading a team of US Marshals while still connecting to the Yellowstone story we all love. It’s like getting more of the Dutton family drama, but in a fresh, procedural format.

Despite his skills, Kayce doesn’t actually lead the team in Marshals. He reports to his old friend and fellow Navy SEAL, Pete “Cal” Calvin, who is portrayed by Logan Marshall-Green. Kayce also collaborates with Montanans Belle Skinner (Arielle Kebbel) and Miles “Dust Cloud” Kittle (Tatanka Means), and New Yorker Andrea Cruz (Ash Santos). However, Dutton is clearly the most capable member of the team.

Kayce Dutton Has Become Yellowstone’s Standout Character

Despite initially being a supporting character, Kayce has been promoted to the main role in the new series Marshals, which was previously played by Kevin Costner in Yellowstone. While a spin-off focusing on Kayce’s sister, Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly), and her husband, Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser), called The Dutton Ranch, is also planned, its development has been slower than the progress of Kayce’s show.

Now that Kayce is taking a more central role in Marshals, he’s become the most crucial character in the Yellowstone universe. He’s uniquely positioned to potentially take over from John, leading a show with a supporting cast, much like the original Yellowstone.

While Marshals has a good cast, it doesn’t quite measure up to Yellowstone‘s. Critics have noted that the new show features more standard procedural characters who haven’t demonstrated the same potential for complexity as the original Yellowstone cast. Yellowstone boasted memorable ensemble characters like Beth, Rip, and Kayce – each compelling enough to carry their own spin-off series.

To help the Marshals spin-off succeed, the show needs to position Kayce as the natural successor to John Dutton. However, he needs a more substantial role than just a worried sidekick. Thankfully, Kayce has already shown leadership in the early episodes of Marshals, and hopefully this trend continues, leading to further development of his character.

Kayce deserves a bigger role in Marshals. He’s essentially been filling in for Costner, and the show likely ended when Costner and Taylor Sheridan stopped working together. Currently, Kayce is seen as a supporting player, but he has the potential to be a leader.

How Yellowstone Needs To Use Luke Grimes More In Marshals

The new Yellowstone spin-off, Marshals, would be improved by making Kayce the leader of the US Marshals instead of Pete Calvin. Many viewers find Calvin to be a weak character, and the show itself has already hinted that Kayce would be a more capable and effective leader for the team.

After just three episodes, Kayce is proving to be a more effective US Marshal than Cal. He’s quickly gaining expertise – in one instance, he confidently leads an operation because of his superior knowledge of the area. In the second episode of Marshals, Kayce’s quick thinking and decisive action saved a life during his first official mission, putting him in charge and creating some friction with Andrea.

Kayce warns Pete that inaction will lead to a repeat of a dangerous past situation – likely referencing a shared experience from their time as Navy SEALs. Calvin, understanding the risk, agrees to Kayce’s plan. Later, Andrea expresses her frustration, pointing out the shift in leadership and accusing Kayce of influencing Calvin during a critical moment.

As Cal pointed out, Kayce was crucial to the team’s survival and successfully prevented the discovered bomb from detonating. Kayce also generally has better instincts and is a more accurate shooter than Cal, as demonstrated in a shooting practice scene where Dutton clearly outperforms him.

In the episode “Road to Nowhere,” Miles and Andrea work on their fighting skills while Dutton assists Dust Cloud in tracking down Cruz. This leads Belle to propose that, given their recent dangerous situations, some close-quarters battle (CQB) training would be beneficial. Kayce volunteers to teach the marshals specialized combat techniques – often called “frogman tactics” – and quickly defers to Dutton as the leader during the training.

Despite this, the show might be setting up Kayce to become the new leader. While Cal explained that joining the Marshals helped him escape a dangerous path after leaving the Navy SEALs – he admitted to previously struggling with substance abuse and violence – it seems he’s still battling addiction.

As a fan, I’m really intrigued by Cal secretly taking pills – it’s a powerful way of showing he’s still deeply affected by what he went through in the war. It feels like the show is subtly setting things up for Kayce to eventually take over the Marshals team as Pete’s health declines. It’s a smart move, letting Dutton grow into the role organically, while finally giving Kayce the chance to really step up as a leader – a position he’s definitely earned.

5 Questions
Can Kayce Dutton Truly Lead Marshals?
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2026-03-17 00:16