Yellowstone star Cole Hauler comments on Rip Wheeler’s future after
the show ends and whether he could appear in The Madison spinoff.
Created by Taylor Sheridan, Yellowstone premiered in 2018,
chronicling the lives of members of the Dutton family as they work to protect their ranch, with Rip serving as the family’s reliable fixer. As the mothership show’s future beyond season 5, part 2, remains unclear,
Sheridan is bringing a spinoff show called The Madison to life, which will star Michelle Pfeiffer, Patrick J. Adams, and Matthew Fox.
In a recent interview with Country Living, Hauser is asked about whether audiences can expect Rip to show up in The Madison. The Yellowstone star reveals that there are currently no firm plans for Rip to appear in the spinoff, with many aspects of The Madison still being decided. He also seemingly confirms, however, that actor Kurt Russell will be appearing in the spinoff after reports earlier this summer claimed the actor was in talks to star. Check out Hauser’s comment below:
“I finished another season of Yellowstone. Taylor did a great job at accomplishing it. There’s a lot going on and I think the audience will hopefully like that. The Madison is Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell —that’s totally separate—and there’s really no final, you know, decision from anyone yet, so I don’t really know. We shall see.”
The Madison’s story is set to follow the Clyburns, a New York City family that moves to rural Montana following a devastating death, with Pfeiffer confirmed to play matriarch Stacy Clyburn. Stacy’s two daughters, Paige and Abigail, are set to be played by Elle Chapman and Beau Garrett, respectively, with Adams set to play Paige’s husband, an investment banker. With Fox playing Paul, a bachelor, it’s not clear who Russell could be playing and whether Hauser’s comment should be taken as confirmation that he is indeed joining the cast.
From what’s been revealed thus far, however, it sounds like Yellowstone and The Madison will be fairly separate entities with separate stories, with the potential for smaller crossovers. This tracks with the currently-unclear future for the mothership show. While Yellowstone season 5, part 2, was originally supposed to bring the series to an end, there have been reports that a season 6 is now possible, with Hauser and Beth actor Kelly Reilly allegedly in talks to lead. This would obviously affect which characters could cross over into The Madison.
Rip has emerged as a key Yellowstone character over the past few seasons, and he’s poised to play an even bigger role in season 5, part 2, with John Dutton actor Kevin Costner now confirmed not to appear. If The Madison ends up being closely connected to the mothership show, then Rip would be a great character to bring over, but only if season 6 doesn’t end up moving forward. Though many questions remain about Yellowstone’s future, Rip would arguably be better served by anchoring a season 6 than by a smaller role in a spinoff.