The doors of 1923 came to a close this past weekend, but they aren’t completely locked. Taylor Sheridan is bringing another prequel into the fold that could bring back some characters from 1923. If there is one character that fans want to see back in this Western world it's Spencer Dutton.
We met Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar) back in 2022 as the handsome lion hunter. It didn’t take long for him to become the face of the series next to Jacob Dutton (Harrison Ford). He has even given Rip Wheeler a run for his money as the biggest hunk of the Yellowstone universe. As a war hero, he can take down any threat that comes his way and was the other half of one of the greatest Dutton love stories ever told. Even if the love story didn’t have a fairytale ending.
Could Brandon Sklenar come back as Spencer Dutton in 1944?
Brandon Sklenar sat down with The Hollywood Reporter to talk about the possibility of his return. Though he would have to be aged about 20 years, Sklenar would love the opportunity to come back and continue his arc as Spencer Dutton.
“Oh yeah! Give me some gout, a little hunch and some salt and pepper. I’ll gravel the voice up a bit. I definitely don’t want to say goodbye to Spencer. I love that guy.”
Sklenar goes on to talk about a spinoff idea that would center around Spencer’s grief after losing the love of his life, Alexandra Dutton. However, I think by 1944 we would have to see some progression for the character unless Sheridan decides to film some flashbacks for the great Dutton heir.
It will be interesting to see if Sklenar gets that chance. There were rumors in the past that Matthew McConaughey would be taking a lead role in one of the Yellowstone universe spinoffs. He is in the right age bracket to play an older Spencer, but there is no confirmation on that or when 1944 will start filming.
When the audience left Spencer, Elsa was doing a voiceover at the end revealing that the spirit of Alexandra never dimmed for Spencer. It’s unclear if he will move on completely. It seems he does to an extent because Elsa admitted he began a relationship with another widow whom he has another child with. For fans, it would be fascinating to see what becomes of the aftermath of 1923 and how Spencer takes the reigns from Jacob at the Yellowstone.
Is Spencer John Dutton’s grandfather?
This is the question we are all asking. It’s still uncertain if Spencer is the direct descendant of beloved John Dutton. Common sense is saying yes because Alex and Spencer’s premature baby was named after his brother John. Is it possible there’s another John that emerges as Elizabeth Dutton’s unborn child? Sure, anything is possible, but it wouldn’t make a ton of sense. However, with Taylor Sheridan, you never know and he’s not going to give any answers until he wants to.
In my opinion, Spencer and Alex make the most sense. Jacob and Cara raised him to be a loyal protector, just like John. Alex is such a free spirit, which is something Beth Dutton embodies well. Let’s talk about the personal lives of John and Spencer for a moment. They are cut from the same cloth. Each of them loses their wives and never leaps to fall in love again.
In season 2, Alex’s strength and resilience played a big role in her development, and that has the Dutton women written all over it. The only issue is there’s a missing generation. John Dutton is the 5th generation and Tate Dutton is the 7th. Spencer Dutton would only be the 2nd generation and fans have been confused about the missing piece. Or it could mean that Sheridan had changed his mind on the timeline since Spencer’s popularity blew up.
I do hope we get to see Brandon Sklenar take on the older role of this legendary character. Brandon Sklenar’s star power is on the rise in Hollywood after starring in It Ends With Us and Drop. You can catch Spencer Dutton’s story in all it’s entirety on Paramount+.