Yellowstone’s next spin-off, Y: Marshals, will take Kayce Dutton (played by Luke Grimes) to places he’s never been before after a crushing loss.

The new series coming to CBS and Paramount+ next year will follow the cowboy and former Navy SEAL following the death of his father, John Dutton (Kevin Costner), in the final season of the flagship Western drama.

Enlisting with an elite unit of U.S. Marshals, Kayce must balance the trials of being a father to his son Tate (Brecken Merrill) with serving as the last line of defense in Montana’s war on violence.

While the new series is expected to bring back several familiar faces from the Yellowstone franchise, including Gil Birmingham and Mo Brings Plenty returning as regulars, one name has been conspicuously absent from the cast list.

It’s still unknown whether Kelsey Asbille will be reprising her role as Kayce’s wife, Monica, after the pair were still very much together at the end of the last season.

Yellowstone’s Kayce is a ‘changed man’ in spin-off after major exit (Image: PARAMOUNT)

Previous reports suggested that her absence will be explained and writer Spencer Hudnut has now shed some more light on where the first episode of Marshals will find Kayce.

“He is a cowboy, but he is also a Navy Seal, so he has this incredible toolkit of skills to put to the test,” he explained in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

“He’s a guy who excels running into the fire. As we saw all through Yellowstone, he is really the essence of being a protector, so it felt very natural for him to end up in a position like this where he’s putting others first.”

Despite being a family man first and foremost, Kayce’s commitment to the Dutton Ranch often demanded he saddle up with Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) to protect the land from their enemies.

Monica star Kelsey Asbille is unlikely to return for the new spin-off (Image: PARAMOUNT)

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Y: Marshals will kick off a year after the finale, and it seems that a lot has changed.

Hudnut continued: “Protecting the ranch and all he got up to in Yellowstone kept him very busy.

“This downtime that he’s had between the end of that show and the start of ours has forced him to confront some of his demons and really focus on being a father. He’s a changed man.”

Although the focus on Kayce being a father will still be very much at the forefront of Y: Marshals, there’s no mention of him dealing with his responsibilities as a husband.

Kayce will be focusing on his responsibilities as a father (Image: PARAMOUNT)

The writer emphasised that the rancher has had more opportunity to spend time at home in the 12-month gap, again stressing the importance of fatherhood over his relationship with Monica.

“I think Kayce primarily always saw himself as a provider and a protector to his son, but maybe left the parenting to his wife,” he added. “But as he’s had a little more time on the home front, one of the things we get to see is the bond between Kayce and his son and also just seeing Kayce beginning to see a lot more of himself in his son as well.”

Now Monica is potentially out of the picture, Kayce’s bond with Tate is stronger than ever, but will undoubtedly be challenged by his new career as he takes on dangerous missions across Montana.

Everything is pointing towards a devastating loss for Kayce, but fans will have to tune into the upcoming Yellowstone spin-off to discover what really happened..