‘Yellowstone’s Most Brutal Villain, 59, Wants to Return — and These Spin-Offs Should Absolutely Resurrect Him

Why Malcolm Beck Is the One ‘Yellowstone’ Villain Who Deserves a Comeback

Over the course of its five seasons and 53 explosive episodes, Yellowstone carved out a brutal legacy on the plains of Montana, pitting the Dutton family against an ever-evolving rogues’ gallery of enemies. Greedy developers, vengeful politicians, angry tribes, and criminal syndicates all set their sights on the sprawling Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. And while many of these foes were little more than speed bumps for the iron-willed John Dutton and his kin, one adversary stood apart — a villain so cunning, so calculating, and so dangerous that his name still lingers in the minds of fans: Malcolm Beck.

Played with steely menace by Neal McDonough, Malcolm Beck made his mark in Season 2, and although his screen time was short, his impact was seismic. Alongside his equally vile brother Teal (Terry Serpico), Malcolm represented everything the Duttons hated — power-hungry outsiders who threatened their land, their family, and their way of life. The Beck brothers’ decision to kidnap young Tate Dutton (Brecken Merrill) sent shockwaves through Paradise Valley and ignited one of the series’ most emotionally charged story arcs.

But here’s the thing — while Teal Beck met a definitive and bloody end, gunned down by Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) in a moment of vengeance, Malcolm’s fate remains shrouded in ambiguity.

The Death We Never Truly Saw

In the Season 2 finale, “Sins of the Father,” John Dutton (Kevin Costner) tracks down Malcolm in the dead of night. After a terse confrontation, John shoots Malcolm and watches him bleed out in the wilderness. Malcolm, defiant to the end, tells John he won’t make it to the hospital, and the patriarch leaves him to die. It felt like closure. But was it?

Here’s the twist: we never actually saw Malcolm Beck die. No body. No final breath. No funeral. And in television, especially in Taylor Sheridan’s sprawling Yellowstone universe, no corpse often means one thing — potential return.

Neal McDonough, ever the showman and eternal optimist, has seized on that ambiguity with gusto. “Yes, Malcolm Beck is not dead,” he told Collider with confidence. “No one saw him actually die in the field.” It’s a theory he’s championed for years, and while there’s been no official confirmation from Sheridan or Paramount, the speculation has only grown. After all, Beck suffered a stomach wound — serious, sure, but not necessarily fatal. Could a man like Malcolm, with his resources and resolve, have slipped away to fight another day?

McDonough Wants Back In — And He’s Not Alone

What makes this theory more than wishful thinking is the actor himself. McDonough, a familiar face in the Sheridan-verse thanks to his work on Tulsa King as Cal Thresher, has made no secret of his desire to return to Yellowstone. And he has a very specific idea for how Malcolm should reenter the fold.

“I would love to see him come back and cause havoc with Rip,” McDonough said, referring to Cole Hauser’s fan-favorite enforcer Rip Wheeler. “Cole Hauser was one of my dearest pals, and there’s nothing I would love more than to go toe to toe with Cole on the show.”

With the announcement of a new spin-off tentatively titled Dutton Ranch focused on Rip and Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly), the timing couldn’t be better. As the Dutton family evolves into its next chapter, a resurrected Beck could bring chaos from the past, targeting not just John Dutton’s legacy, but his bloodline. Imagine the possibilities — a scarred, embittered Malcolm, out for revenge, facing off against Rip and Beth in a new battle for the soul of the ranch.

A Better Fit: Malcolm Beck in ‘Y: Marshals’

But Dutton Ranch isn’t the only potential destination. Perhaps an even more tantalizing option lies in Y: Marshals, another upcoming series following Kayce Dutton as a state lawman traveling across Montana. It was Kayce, after all, who executed Teal Beck — in cold blood and on screen. If Malcolm were to resurface with vengeance in his heart, Kayce would be the natural target.

This setup not only provides personal stakes but mirrors the tone of neo-Western procedurals like Justified — another series where McDonough shined as the sinister Robert Quarles. His pedigree in this genre, along with his evident desire to return, makes Y: Marshals the perfect canvas for a more personal, more suspenseful confrontation.

The Sheridan Universe Needs Malcolm Beck

With Yellowstone coming to a close and its universe expanding at a breakneck pace, bringing back a villain like Malcolm Beck would inject tension, nostalgia, and unresolved conflict into whichever series he appears in. Sheridan’s world is known for complex characters and long-simmering rivalries, and Malcolm’s story is far from finished.

If McDonough is right — and there’s every reason to think he might be — then fans should brace themselves. Because when Malcolm Beck returns, he won’t just be coming for revenge. He’ll be coming for the future of the Duttons.

Why Malcolm Beck Is the One ‘Yellowstone’ Villain Who Deserves a Comeback Over the course of its five seasons and 53 explosive episodes, Yellowstone carved out a brutal legacy on the plains of Montana, pitting the Dutton family against an ever-evolving rogues’ gallery of enemies. Greedy developers, vengeful politicians, angry tribes, and criminal syndicates all…