John Orquiola is a New & Classic TV Editor, Senior Writer, and Interviewer with a special focus on Star Trek. John has over 4,000 published articles at SR, and he has interviewed the biggest names in Star Trek on the red carpet and VIP events, among other beloved shows, movies, and franchises.

Kayce Dutton was Yellowstone‘s reluctant action hero, but Y: Marshals plunges the youngest son of the late John Dutton III (Kevin Costner) back into action. Kayce is recruited into the U.S. Marshals to take on the dangerous “gangs, cartels, and race warriors” plaguing the peace of “God’s country,” Montana.

Along with Tate Dutton, Y: Marshals ports familiar faces from Yellowstone like Gil Birmingham as Thomas Rainwater and Mo Brings Plenty as Mo to keep Kayce company on his new action-packed adventures on CBS.

Now, the lingering question of why Kelsey Asbille isn’t listed in Y: Marshal’s cast as Monica Dutton may have been answered.

Y: Marshal’s Trailer May Have Confirmed Monica Dutton Is Dead

Y: Marshal’s official trailer starts with Kayce Dutton’s narration about how he fought to “get out from under the weight of the Yellowstone.” As Kayce climbs up to a hilltop grave, he says, “I’ve lost my teammates, my parents, even my brothers…” Yet the grave that Kayce kneels at is relatively fresh. This could be Monica Dutton’s burial site.

Y: Marshals introduces a slew of new characters joining Kayce on his action-packed missions, including fellow U.S. Marshals Belle Skinner (Arielle Kebbel) and Andrea Cruz (Ash Santos).

Since Kayce leads a new show on a new network, it’s quite possible that a new love interest was mandated for Kayce. Y: Marshals may have chosen to extricate Kayce from the baggage of his tumultuous marriage to Monica.

Kayce’s Yellowstone Story Takes A Dark Turn Without Monica

Kayce is the most formidable fighter of the modern Duttons. Kayce was a Navy SEAL, and he was the Livestock Commissioner during Yellowstone. Kayce has engaged in numerous firefights and killed many enemies of the Dutton family. Yet Kayce abhors violence and has repeatedly tried to escape it.

Monica and Kayce retired to East Camp with Tate to live a peaceful life, believing that with the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch sold, the cycle of violence that Kayce had to perpetuate to keep his family’s land would finally be over. However, if Monica is dead, that destroys Kayce’s chance at the peace and domestic bliss he yearned for.

Monica Dutton’s fate looks obvious, but Y: Marshals may still add an unexpected twist or revelation. Yet the most likely scenario given context clues is that Monica is dead in Y: Marshals, and Kayce’s return to action as a U.S. Marshal will be, in part, to escape the pain and loneliness from the loss of his wife.