CBS has quietly made a last-minute tweak to its upcoming Yellowstone spin-off starring Luke Grimes, and while it may look small on paper, it’s the kind of change that has fans reading between the lines. Originally announced as Y: Marshals, the series will now simply be titled Marshals. According to CBS, the “Y” was always considered a working title — and, somewhat amusingly, was apparently “silent” internally the entire time. Still, the timing is eyebrow-raising, with the rename coming just two months before the show’s March premiere.
Marshals picks up after the events of Yellowstone, following Kayce Dutton as he leaves the ranch behind and joins a team of U.S. Marshals in Montana. Returning from Yellowstone are Brecken Merrill as Tate Dutton, Gil Birmingham as Thomas Rainwater, and Mo Brings Plenty as Mo, Rainwater’s right-hand man, while notably excluding Kelsey Asbille’s Monica — a choice that already signaled this would be a very different chapter of Kayce’s life.
Joining the new cast are Logan Marshall-Green (And Just Like That…) as Pete Calvin, one of Kayce’s old military friends, Arielle Kebbel as Belle, Tatanka Means as Miles, Ash Santos as Andrea, and Brett Cullen in a recurring role as Harry Gifford, the head of the U.S. Marshals in Montana.
Why Has ‘Marshals’ Removed Yellowstone References?
Officially, CBS insists the title change is purely cosmetic. But unofficially, t’s hard not to notice that this adjustment arrives as Taylor Sheridan prepares to exit Paramount for NBCUniversal in the near future. With Sheridan’s sprawling TV empire still dominating Paramount’s lineup — from Landman to Tulsa King to the remaining Yellowstone offshoots — there’s growing speculation that the network may be subtly repositioning certain projects as it looks toward a post-Sheridan future.
CBS has pushed back on any conspiracy talk according to the Hollywood Reporter, emphasizing that Marshals is still firmly tied to the Yellowstone universe and that the iconic “Y” will remain visible in the show’s logo. Still, networks are famously meticulous about branding, and changes this late in the game rarely happen without at least some strategic thought behind them.