Yellowstone Creator Taylor Sheridan's Involvement In Marshals Explained

If you caught the series premiere of "Marshals," you've likely noticed some differences between the new CBS procedural and the original Paramount Network drama that spawned it. "Yellowstone" helped thrust the neo-Western back into the spotlight, reminding audiences that narrative potential still exists in the modern American West. Yet "Marshals" takes an entirely new approach — and the results are a bit mixed, leaving many to wonder where "Yellowstone" creator Taylor Sheridan is in all this.

Adding to the confusion, neither Sheridan nor "Yellowstone" co-creator John Linson are included on the show's official "created by" credit. Instead, sole credit is awarded to showrunner Spencer Hudnut, who formerly oversaw "SEAL Team" before diving into this CBS-style "Yellowstone" sequel. While Sheridan is still listed as an executive producer, "Marshals" is the first Dutton-related project that he isn't spearheading himself — something diehards could already tell from the dialogue alone.

When Hudnut was first approached to develop a potential spin-off pitch, he wasn't privy to the way Kayce's story would end. Still, Sheridan aided in the development process and ultimately gave Hudnut his blessing. "When I pitched it, he was super gracious and we had a back and forth," Hudnut told The Hollywood Reporter. "He took what my ideas were, which is a fair amount of what's on the screen, but he reshaped them and put it in the right package for 'Marshals.'" The "Yellowstone" co-creator may not be involved in day-to-day operations, but remains available for creative guidance.

From the beginning, Hudnut aimed to separate the spin-off from the original Paramount hit. Of course, Kayce Dutton is a "Yellowstone" character first and foremost, and many other Sheridan-made characters cross over as well — including Gil Birmingham's Thomas Rainwater and Brecken Merrill's Tate Dutton — but the series was never meant to just be an echo of "Yellowstone." At least, not according to the showrunner.

"Part of the work was really getting under the hood of the character and Taylor's writing style, and eventually realizing that all I'm going to be doing if I'm trying to be Taylor is doing a Taylor Sheridan cover band," the showrunner revealed, "which is not great for anybody." Although the show aims to address several loose ends from "Yellowstone," "Marshals" is largely going in a different direction than Sheridan explored on the flagship series. 

After all, while Sheridan gave Kayce and his family a happy ending, the CBS drama rips that out from under the Dutton heir, putting him on a new path. Although Monica Dutton's post-"Yellowstone" fate came as a surprise to many, it was a bold move that worked out for the franchise's new tone. It's a sobering reminder that "Marshals" may share familiar faces and locations with Sheridan's original (even if it's shot in Utah rather than Montana), but it's trying to forge its own path. Here's hoping that, like Kayce, "Marshals" can lean into its strengths and move past "Yellowstone" in time.