Marshals: Kayce Dutton Follows in Footsteps of Legendary TV Western Characters

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Taylor Sheridan’s upcoming Western series, Marshals, is scheduled to premiere on CBS in early March 2026. The show will follow Kayce Dutton from Yellowstone as he begins working for the U.S. Marshal Service, putting him in the footsteps of iconic characters from classic Western television.

Several popular Westerns have centered around characters who are law enforcement officers, and Yellowstone‘s Kayce is no exception. Luke Grimes returns as this often-overlooked hero, using his background as a former Navy SEAL to tackle tough law enforcement challenges in Montana.

Taylor Sheridan’s decision to make Kayce Dutton a proactive lawman with the Marshal Service taps into a classic Western trope. The U.S. Marshal as a heroic figure dates back to iconic characters like Marshal Matt Dillon from the TV show Gunsmoke.

Taylor Sheridan’s Marshals Sees Kayce Dutton Become A U.S. Marshal

The first trailer for the new series Marshals, a spin-off of Yellowstone, came out in November and showed Kayce Dutton as a U.S. Marshal. This role as a lawman in Montana is a big change from his life working on the Dutton Ranch.

Kayce has always been the Dutton family’s enforcer, handling difficult tasks while protecting his family. But in Marshals, he’ll be working with the law, tasked with maintaining order between ranchers, Native American tribes, and developers in a rugged part of the American West.

Kayce Follows In The Footsteps Of Legendary TV Marshals Matt Dillon & Raylan Givens

Kayce Dutton isn’t the first TV cowboy to be a U.S. Marshal. Actually, the two most famous TV lawmen both held that position, not the role of sheriff. For example, Matt Dillon from Gunsmoke spent two decades keeping the peace and tracking down criminals in Dodge City, Kansas.

More recently, the tough lawman Raylan Givens from the series Justified worked as a marshal in Harlan County, Georgia. Both Raylan and the characters from Gunsmoke likely influenced the creation of Kayce Dutton in Marshals. Viewers might even recognize specific plotlines that echo stories from those earlier shows.

Matt Dillon & Raylan Givens Are The 2 Greatest Western TV Characters Of All Time

Matt Dillon and Raylan Givens, both played by leading TV actors of their time, are distinct characters. However, they both stand out as prime examples of the Western genre on television.

I’ve always been a huge fan of Matt Dillon! He’s the classic Western hero – a real gunslinger who keeps the peace in Dodge City with quick shooting and thrilling horseback chases. And James Arness? He was Matt Dillon. Honestly, I think his performance over twenty years is the best anyone has ever given in a Western TV show – it’s just incredible.

Timothy Olyphant’s performance as Raylan Givens has become the standard for how characters like Kayce Dutton in Marshals – and many other modern Western lawmen – are now portrayed. While Givens is a contemporary figure, his approach to justice feels rooted in the Old West, reminiscent of classic Clint Eastwood roles in films like Hang ‘Em High and High Plains Drifter.

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2026-01-10 00:18