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Who Is Harrison Ford Playing in ‘Yellowstone’ Prequel ‘1932’?

Everything we know about Harrison Ford’s role in 1932, Yellowstone‘s Depression-era prequel from creator Taylor Sheridan.

When 1932 was announced as the “next chapter” in place of another season of 1883, a collective sigh rang out from Yellowstone fans across the world. That sigh immediately turned into rabid excitement, however, when it was announced that Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren are headlining the series.

But who will these Hollywood icons embody? Taking a look at what’s come before gives some crucial clues.

Where Will ‘1932’s Harrison Ford Fall on the Dutton Family Tree?

Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan describes 1932 as the continuation of the Dutton story. As a result, we can be all but sure that Ford and Mirren will portray the next patriarch and matriarch of the family respectively. How this breaks down exactly, however, is unknown.

But here’s what we do know, courtesy of simple math: 1932 will take place 49 years after 1883. This alone limits the spots Ford & Mirren could inhabit on the Dutton Family Tree.

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Graphic Credit: Daniel Garcia, Outsider

Right off the bat, it’s worth stating that 1932‘s Harrison Ford & Helen Mirren will not be playing older versions of 1883‘s James (Tim McGraw) and Margaret Dutton (Faith Hill). Both characters would be pushing 100-years-old by this decade, so we can rule this possibility out. In fact, the average male lifespan in 1900 (a depressing 46 years) was less than the actual age gap between these two shows (49 years in-between the prequels) altogether.

So who does this leave on the table, er, tree? In 1883, we meet the first son of James & Margaret Dutton, John Dutton. The then 5-year-old is the first in a long line of John Duttons. His name is passed all the way down to Kevin Costner’s iconic, modern-day Yellowstone patriarch, as we know.

Could Harrison Ford, then, be giving life to the original John Dutton? Let’s do the math.

Is Harrison Ford the Original John Dutton?

For John Dutton to be 5 in 1883, he would’ve been born in 1878. So by 1932, John Dutton I is 54-years-old.

This doesn’t seem to sit well with Harrison Ford’s age, who is 79 in 2022, at first. But remember that average lifespan? People lived hard and fast at the turn of the 20th century. By the time we catch up with him in 1932, John Dutton I would’ve lived through The Reconstruction Era, World War 1, Prohibition, and the beginnings of the Great Depression. And that’s just scratching the surface.

To say he’s got some city miles on him, then, wouldn’t be a stretch. Taylor Sheridan, too, is a stickler for authenticity. Chances are he’s had older actors in mind to portray the Duttons of this time period, as fresher-faced 50-something actors might not cut it.

A 79-year-old Harrison Ford playing a 54-year-old John Dutton I for 1932 does, in theory, make sense as a result. And if he does, this makes him the grandfather to Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone character. Especially considering Sheridan and his lead partner at 101 Studios, David Glasser’s, remarks on this prequel being the “next chapter” of 1883.

Other ‘1932’ Possibilities

Of course, this is all speculation at this point. Harrison Ford could also be playing a different Dutton from elsewhere on the family tree. He could be a brother or uncle. There could be another generation of Duttons we don’t yet know about. Hell, Ford’s character could be from another family entirely.

But having a non-Dutton lead the next big Yellowstone prequel seems further-to-fetch than Ford playing the original John Dutton. In this Outsider’s book, anyway.

We’ll find out as 1932 begins filming with Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren later in 2022.