The first Yellowstone spinoff set in the modern day is anticipated to premiere on CBS in early 2026, as Luke Grimes returns to play John Dutton’s son, Kayce, in Y: Marshals. Kayce Dutton has left ranching behind, and is now enforcing the law in Montana as a U.S. Marshal.

In this way, Grimes is following in the footsteps of two acting legends in the Western genre. Y: Marshals looks to be the only upcoming Yellowstone show primarily focused on law enforcement, setting it apart from family-centric spinoffs like The Madison and The Dutton Ranch. What’s more, U.S. Marshals have an especially distinguished history in TV Westerns.

Arguably the two best Western TV actors of all time, James Arness and Timothy Olyphant, both made their names in the genre playing U.S. Marshals. It appears to be a conscious decision on the part of Yellowstone and Y: Marshals co-creator Taylor Sheridan to place Kayce Dutton in this esteemed tradition.

Kayce Dutton Becomes A U.S. Marshal In Yellowstone’s Spinoff Y: Marshals

With the first trailer of Y: Marshals hinting at Monica Dutton Long’s death, it appears that Kayce is leaving most of his past behind in this new show, to become an all-action, gunslinging Western lawman. In this brief first-look at the series, we see actor Luke Grimes on horseback, wearing a uniform emblazoned with the tag, “U.S. Mashal”.

The son he had with Monica, Tate Dutton, will play a role in the spinoff, but Kayce himself may well be a very different father figure in his new career, especially in light of everything he’s lost. He’s gone from being a loyal and good-natured rancher who’s deeply protective of his family, to a buccaneering soldier of the law.

3 Of TV’s Greatest Western Characters Were U.S. Marshals

This transformation elevates Kayce Dutton to a status typically reserved for the true greats of Western television. Three of the best Western TV characters in the history of the genre followed the same career path. Most famously, iconic Gunsmoke protagonist Matt Dillon was a U.S. Marshal in Dodge City, Kansas.

More recently, Timothy Olyphant has played two very different but equally revered lawmen who both worked for the U.S. Marshals Service. His greatest character, Justified’s Raylan Givens, was a veteran U.S. Marshal, who was reassigned to East Kentucky from Miami, Florida.

A few years prior, Olyphant played Seth Bullock, who became the sheriff of the titular gold rush town in Deadwood, after serving as a U.S. Marshal in Montana. It was Bullock’s history in the Marshals Service that qualified him to become a legendary law enforcer in the show.

Luke Grimes Could Be The Next James Arness Or Timothy Olyphant

Timothy Olyphant’s roles in Justified and Deadwood have made him a legend of the Western genre. Likewise, James Arness is seen as the John Wayne of TV Westerns thanks to his 20-year stint as U.S. Marshal Matt Dillon.

Luke Grimes is in good company, then, as he transitioned from being John Dutton’s put-upon dog’s body at the Yellowstone ranch, to a swashbuckling central hero working for the Marshal Service in Y: Marshals. If his new show is a success, he could be viewed in a similar light to Arness and Olyphant, as a genuine great of TV Westerns.