We’re mere months away from the Yellowstone franchise expanding anew, as the fifth season of the mothership neo-western is dropping in mid-November, followed by the December arrival of the prequel drama 1923. The drama is in the midst of filming, and only recently announced a slew of new cast members joining spinoff leads Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren. And now, another casting report has revealed one of the final missing pieces of the Dutton ancestral puzzle, and it ties back to the post-1883 years.
Actor Brandon Sklenar, has joined the 1923 cast in the role of Spencer Dutton, the second son of James (Tim McGraw) and Margaret Dutton (Faith Hill), according to Deadline. This will be the first time fans get to see the character, who’ll be the nephew of Ford’s Jacob Dutton, as a full-grown adult, having only previously witnessed him as a younger child.
To be sure, Spencer Dutton wasn’t a part of the 1883 series itself, as it took place before he was born. Rather, he was introduced via Yellowstone first Season 4 flashback, which technically aired before 1883 hit Paramount+. As portrayed by Charlie Stover in both that and the follow-up flashback later in the season, Spencer Dutton is the younger brother of John Sr., who’ll be portrayed in adult form by James Badge Dale for 1923, and Elsa, who was played with grace by Isabel May, though she obviously won’t be back for more.
While we don’t know too much about Spencer Dutton just yet, one important element noted is that he’s a World War I vet who apparently came out of it with some horrific memories. That trauma-stricken headspace speaks to other characters within this franchise, such as Sam Elliott’s Shea Brennan and LaMonica Garrett’s Thomas in 1883, as well as Dave Annable’s Lee and Luke Grimes’ Kayce in Yellowstone.
The role of Spencer Dutton could easily turn out to be the biggest one yet for actor Brandan Sklenar, assuming 1927 comes anywhere close to following in the high-viewership footsteps of its predecessors. He’d previously been part of projects such as the Matt Smith-starring biopic Mapplethorpe, and was most recently seen in episodes of Westworld Season 4 and Paramount+’s The Offer limited series.
The actor actually has another throwback western role on the way, as Brandon Sklenar will also pop up in the pilot for The CW’s prequel Walker: Independence. Beyond that, he’ll star in the upcoming drama God Loves the Green Bay Packers.
Everyone with a Paramount+ subscription can look forward to seeing the Dutton family expanding in huge ways when 1923 debuts in December. Head to our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see what new and returning projects will be hitting the small screen in the coming months.
