A new report sheds light on why Monica Dutton was killed off in Marshals
Luke Grimes’ return to his career-defining role as Kayce Dutton for the Yellowstone spinoff was tempered by the news that Kayce’s wife, Monica (played by Kelsey Asbille), was not going to be a part of the CBS series. Monica is instead killed off-screen, with Kayce and his young son Tate (Brecken Merrill) spending much of the spinoff mourning their shared unexpected and devastating loss.
In new reporting for the What I’m Hearing newsletter at Puck, journalist Matt Belloni reveals that the decision to kill off Monica was at least partly motivated by the need to differentiate Marshals from being just another Yellowstone continuation. That need stems from a deal that was struck before the existence of Paramount+ and prior to Yellowstone fully establishing itself as such a popular franchise.
The deal means that any spinoff of Yellowstone can stream on Paramount+. However, any direct continuation of the Yellowstone series would have to stream on Peacock since Peacock acquired the streaming rights to Yellowstone back in 2020. It seems that excluding Monica from Marshals was an attempt to downplay it as a direct continuation of Yellowstone, avoiding any potential legal issues between the parent companies of Paramount+ and Peacock.
Monica’s Death Explained In Marshals
In the debut episode of Marshals, it’s revealed that Monica dies of cancer as a result of the toxicity from a mining company that has tainted the waters of the Broken Rock Reservation. The loss neatly sets up the antagonists of the spinoff, but it also heavily impacts how Kayce and Tate are living by the time that viewers catch up with them.
The loss of Monica in such a tragic way undoes the happy Yellowstone ending that Kayce can only briefly enjoy. At the end of the original series, Kayce, Monica, and Tate leave Kayce’s complicated Dutton family history behind to start a new life. The loss of that hope is enough of a catalyst for a new spinoff, but it also might have been done to underline the fact that Marshals is not just a Yellowstone sequel.
Yellowstone’s Universe And Its Future On Paramount
Even though the Marshals cast features Yellowstone originals like Grimes, Merrill, Gil Birmingham, and Mo Brings Plenty, it is apparently distinct enough not to fall under the category of a direct Yellowstone continuation. Marshals is more of a CBS procedural, with the lead character becoming a U.S. Marshal, and it is streaming on Paramount+ without any issues.
The Dutton Ranch, featuring Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser returning as Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler, is also set to stream on Paramount+ as of May 15. It changes locations and is largely focused on new characters. Along with speculation that Peacock and Paramount+ may choose to collaborate on a subscription bundle, it may be that the future of Yellowstone and Marshals on Paramount is secure.
Marshals airs Sundays on CBS at 8 PM ET and releases the next day on Paramount+.
- Release Date
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2026 – 2026
- Showrunner
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Spencer Hudnut
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Logan Marshall-Green
Pete Calvin
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