Since Ransom Canyon premiered in 2025, comparisons to Taylor Sheridan’s hit Western drama Yellowstone have swirled. So when 2026 Yellowstone spin-offs Marshals and Dutton Ranch featured several stars from the popular Netflix series, their worlds became even more intertwined.

“Yeah, they all got real busy,” Ransom Canyon creator and showrunner April Blair told Decider over Zoom when asked about the Luke Grimes-led Marshals casting Ransom Canyon stars Tatanka Means and Brett Cullen, then Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser’s Dutton Ranch casting Sterlin English.

English, who plays a character named Sterlin on Ransom Canyon, appears as Austin on Dutton Ranch. And Cullen, who plays Staten’s (Josh Duhamel) father, Sam Kirkland, on the Netflix series, portrays Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Harry Gifford on Marshals. But it’s Means, Ransom Canyon‘s Jake Longbow, who was most impacted by the Sheridan-verse overlap.

Though Means briefly appeared in Ransom Canyon Season 2, his character Jake was encouraged to take a well-earned vacation while Staten awaited the board votes that would determine if he could rehire him and the other ranch hands. Since Means was cast as Miles Kittle, one of the Sheridan spin-off’s five core U.S. Marshals, his Ransom Canyon availability window was significantly smaller for Season 2.

“I’m really happy for Tatanka. He’s great. I love him on our show. It was sad, because we couldn’t get him as much during Season 2. He was very, very busy,” Blair told Decider, adding that she hopes fans will see more of him on her show in the future.

As for the broader comparisons to Yellowstone, Jodi Thomas published the novel that inspired the Netflix series in 2015, three years before Sheridan’s series came out. So while Blair sees the similarities, she knows her show is “something very different.”

“All of Taylor’s work is super inspirational to everyone. Obviously he wasn’t the first person to do a Western, but he repopularized the neo-Western in such a huge way. And without [Yellowstone], I don’t know that anyone would have bought these books or had me write them. So I definitely credit it,” Blair told Decider. “I think we definitely are something very different once you get under the hood of it. I don’t like killing. Everything is very grounded in romance and the different layers of love and longing and all of that. But I definitely credit them.”

When Decider noted that Ransom Canyon‘s casting department helped inspire the next era of Sheridan stars, Blair joked, “I know. I think they’re like getting even with me.”

Thankfully, Western fans don’t have to choose between Ransom Canyon and the Yellowstone universe; we can enjoy all four shows! That said, here’s hoping that Marshals and Dutton Ranch Season 2 filming and Ransom Canyon Season 3 filming don’t clash so we can get maximum English, Cullen, and Means screen time.

Want more Ransom Canyon insights from the creator and cast? Be sure to read our full interviews with Blair, Kelly, and Duhamel.

Ransom Canyon‘s first two seasons are now streaming on Netflix.