They turn out to be cowboys Doing say goodbye.

The death of Kevin Costner‘S Yellowstone character recently sent shockwaves beyond the borders of Dutton Ranch, with many viewers expressing outrage over the way John Dutton III was killed on the Paramount show.

But for the two-time Oscar winner, who said he actually pitched the series creator Taylor Sheridan two different endings for his character, he’s not shaking in his boots because of the fans’ reaction.

“Fans have a voice in things,” Costner said exclusively E! News at the 2024 Governors Awards in Los Angeles on November 17, “and they choose to follow things.”

The 69-year-old added that he pitched his character’s death to Sheridan “a while ago,” but it was ultimately up to the producers how exactly John would meet his maker. (Spoiler warning: Dawn Olivieri‘s character Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri) -the girlfriend of John’s estranged son Jamie, played by Wes Bentley orchestrated an assassination plot to deter the Dutton patriarch.)

As Costner joked, “They do what they want to do. That’s fine with me.” (For more interviews about the 2024 Governors Awards, visit E! News Monday November 18 at 11:00 PM)