The set of Dutton Ranch season 2 is reportedly turning into a full-blown battlefield — and the reason everyone’s pointing fingers isn’t just ego, it’s the complete absence of a true leader.

According to fresh reporting from the Daily Mail and Closer magazine, the cast and crew of the Paramount+ spinoff are locked in internal battles over screentime, creative control, and who gets to be “top dog” on set. But the real problem, insiders say, is that nobody has stepped up to fill the captain’s chair the way Kevin Costner did for the first five and a half seasons of Yellowstone.

The leaks started in August when a source told Daily Mail that the actors themselves are a major part of the chaos. “I believe it’s the actors that are a huge part of the problem,” the insider said. “Too many people think they are in control over there and that’s causing a lot of issues.”

Now, a second source speaking to Closer has gone even further, painting a picture of a production that is drifting dangerously without strong direction.

“Kevin is an incredible leader, and he really took on that role with the cast,” the source explains. “He was so great when it came to keeping everybody calm and in check.”

The source also noted that while there were “people that didn’t like” Costner, the “majority of the cast and crew” still saw him as their “north star.” Many of them still talk about how much they idolized him and how much better the experience felt when he was involved.

That nostalgia is especially strong for Cole Hauser (Rip Wheeler) and Kelly Reilly (Beth Dutton), who are reprising their roles on Dutton Ranch. The two have been sharing stories about how Costner helped them stay grounded and how he diffused potential drama on set. They describe him like a hero — and they miss that energy deeply.

“It’s hard to imagine that he wouldn’t have been in some capacity if he and Taylor hadn’t fallen out,” the source says. “Unfortunately, no one has stepped up to fill his shoes, that’s why things are so chaotic on Dutton Ranch.”

Taylor Sheridan has been an executive producer from the beginning, but the showrunner role has shifted to Benjamin Cavell, who comes from a different creative world (think Homeland, SEAL Team, and Justified). Sheridan is reportedly having a bigger presence in the writers room for season 2, but insiders say that hasn’t been enough to calm the crew.

Costner left Yellowstone in 2024 amid rumors of a falling-out with Sheridan, and those rumors have never fully been put to rest. Whether or not the rift was real, the fact remains that the absence of a charismatic, respected leader like Costner has left Dutton Ranch without the steady hand that once kept the entire Yellowstone empire running smoothly.

The cast is clearly missing that dynamic. Hauser and Reilly in particular keep bringing him up, describing how his calm presence made everything feel more manageable. And with filming for season 2 still months away (February 2027), the leaks suggest the tension is already building behind the scenes.

While some of the drama may be exaggerated, one thing is clear: Dutton Ranch was supposed to be a new chapter for the Dutton family in Texas. Instead, it’s looking more and more like another production that could be derailed by the very same forces that have plagued other Sheridan-verse projects for years — egos, power struggles, and the lack of a true leader to hold everything together.

Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly may keep talking about Costner like he was Superman on set, but right now, the Dutton Ranch universe is flying without a cape. And if the current leaks are true, that’s going to cause a lot more than just a little turbulence.