‘1932’: Which Member of the Dutton Family Will Harrison Ford Play in the ‘Yellowstone’ Prequel?
1932 will be the next series to premiere in Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone universe. And it will be led by two of the biggest stars in Hollywood — Harrison Ford and Dame Helen Mirren. However, when Paramount announced their major casting news, they didn’t give fans any hint about which characters they will play. Will Ford be part of the Dutton family tree? Or, will he be an outside character like Sam Elliott’s Shea Brennan in the prequel 1883?
‘1932’ will introduce fans to another generation of Duttons
Following the success of Yellowstone and its prequel 1883, Paramount is expanding the show’s universe once again with the prequel, 1932. Originally planned as season 2 of 1883, 1932 will follow a new Dutton generation “during the time of western expansion, Prohibition, and the Great Depression.”
Sheridan says he chose this specific time period because it is connected to the characters that fans met in 1883 — the original Dutton generation that settled the land in Montana that became the famous Dutton Yellowstone Ranch.
“You’re seeing the children we’ve met in 1883 now attempting to raise another generation of Duttons at a time of the Wild West becoming a playground for the elite from the east,” Sheridan said in a preview.
Will Harrison Ford’s character be part of the Dutton family in the ‘Yellowstone’ prequel?
In mid-May, Paramount announced that Ford and Mirren would be joining the latest Yellowstone prequel as the series leads. But, the cable outlet didn’t share any character information. The mystery immediately sparked fan speculation online, with many believing that Ford will play the adult version of a character they first met in 1883.
In the first prequel, Audie Rick played five-year-old John Dutton — the youngest son of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s James and Margaret Dutton. This has many fans convinced that Ford will play John in 1932, which takes place approximately 50 years after the first prequel.
However, some fans believe that Ford could be playing a very old version of McGraw’s character James. While others think he won’t be a Dutton at all. Instead, it could be possible that he will be a character with a connection to the Dutton family, like Shea Brennan in 1883.
Clearing up the Dutton Family Tree before the premiere of ‘1932’
With all of these prequels — not to mention all of the Duttons in Yellowstone — the family tree is starting to get a bit confusing. Knowing who’s who could provide some hints as to which character Ford will play in 1932.
James and Margaret were the first generation to settle in Montana, which makes their sons John and Spencer generation number two. In 1932, John and Spencer are in their 50s and 60s, and their kids — born around the turn of the century — are generation number three.
John and Spencer’s grandchildren will be generation number four, which will include “John Sr.” the father of Kevin Costner’s John Dutton. That character was played by Dabney Coleman on Yellowstone, but fans will likely see him as a young boy growing up during the Great Depression in 1932.
Costner’s John Dutton was born in the 1950s and is part of the family’s fifth generation in Montana at the ranch. That makes his children Beth (Kelly Reilly), Kayce (Luke Grimes), and Jamie (Wes Bentley) generation number six, and his grandson Tate (Brecken Merrill) generation number seven.
If Ford’s character is part of the Dutton family — and considering the fact the actor is almost 80 — the most likely theory is that he will play an older version of the original family patriarch, McGraw’s James Dutton. Fans will just have to wait and see if this is truly the case.
1932 will premiere in December on Paramount+. Yellowstone Season 5 will premiere on the Paramount Network on Sunday, November 13.
