Lawmen: Bass Reeves: Release Date, Trailer, Cast, and Everything Else to Know

Taylor Sheridan's upcoming limited series about Bass Reeves (David Oyelowo), the first Black U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi, is galloping into town to satisfy your need for more Western drama. And as Lawmen: Bass Reeves gets closer, the picture of the series is starting to come into focus. Now, we've got a trailer and a release date to go along with that extensive cast list (which includes at least one familiar face from the Yellowstone universe).

Bass Reeves was originally expected to function as a spin-off of the Yellowstone prequel 1883, but now it will exist as a separate series. While the first season will depict the story of Bass Reeves, future installments of the anthology series will revolve around other real-life lawmen. Here's everything we know so far. 

More:

• Yellowstone Season 5 Part 2: When it premieres, what it's about, and more 
• Ranking Taylor Sheridan's shows, from Yellowstone to Tulsa King
• 1923 Season 2: Everything we know
• More shows like Yellowstone

Lawmen: Bass Reeves trailer

The official trailer for Lawmen: Bass Reeves was released on Oct. 10, giving audiences a better look at Oyelowo's take on Bass Reeves, as well as other major players, like Lauren E. Banks as Bass' wife Jennie, Dennis Quaid as Deputy U.S. Marshal Sherrill Lynn, and Donald Sutherland as Judge Isaac Parker.

A teaser trailer was previously released in September.

Lawmen: Bass Reeves release date          

Lawmen: Bass Reeves premieres Sunday, Nov. 5 on Paramount+. The first two episodes of the six-episode limited series will be released at once.

Lawmen: Bass Reeves cast

David Oyelowo stars as U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves. The British actor is best known for playing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 2014 film Selma. Oyelowo has shared some of his preparations for the role on Instagram; in June 2022, he posted footage of himself on a horse and called the role "a million miles from [his] own experience and skillset." 

Lauren E. Banks will play Bass' wife, Jennie.

Dennis Quaid will appear as Deputy U.S. Marshal Sherrill Lynn, Variety reported in January.

Five more cast members were announced in March, as reported by Deadline. Joaquina Kalukango will play Esme, "a former enslaved woman who is as good as family with the Reeves' and also has some different ideas about the future." 

This Is Us alum Lonnie Chavis plays Arthur Mayberry, a young man with a crush on Reeves' daughter Sally (Demi Singleton). 

Rob Morgan (who also had a This Is Us stint) will play a "once strong-man, broken by time" named Ramsey. 

Ryan O'Nan plays Darrell Dolliver, one of the outlaw Dolliver brothers that Reeves is trying to bring down. 

Justin Hurtt-Dunkley has been cast as Ike, a Deputy U.S. Marshal. 

Shea Whigham (Perry Mason) will play Col. George Reeves, described as Bass Reeves' "upright and incredibly cruel" enslaver, per Variety.

Forrest Goodluck has been cast as Billy Crow, a young Cherokee man with an affinity for dime-store books. 

Barry Pepper will play Esau Pierce, the leader of the 1st Cherokee Mounted Rifles.

Garrett Hedlund will guest star as Garret Montgomery, a cowboy that Reeves hires because of his riding knowhow. 

Donald Sutherland will play the recurring role of Judge Isaac Parker, described as "an imposing and commanding judge in the Fort Smith Courthouse with a complicated legacy," Variety reported in April.

On June 6, four more cast members were revealed via Deadline. Mo Brings Plenty, who currently stars on Yellowstone as Mo, will play Minco Dodge, a Choctaw Native American who is a friend to Reeves. 

Also joining the series are Dale Dickey as Widow Dolliver, an older woman who has seen it all; Margot Bingham as Sara Jumper, a Seminole Native American whom Bass owes a debt to; and Tosin Morohunfola as Jackson "Jackrabbit" Cole, an ex-Union-soldier-turned-prisoner who rides with Reeves. 

Cole Hauser, who plays Rip Wheeler on Yellowstone, may also appear in the series. When the actor arrived at the Yellowstone Season 5 premiere sporting a goatee in November 2022, he told ET, "I'm switching it up on ya. This is for a role that I did in 1883." (This was back when Bass Reeves was still billed as an offshoot of 1883.) What in the Yellowstone Matrix is this happening with this casting? Does Rip have access to a time machine that lets him go back two centuries? We'll have to see.

Who is Bass Reeves?

Reeves is one of the most legendary figures of the Old West, and it's likely you've heard his name before. The real-life lawman has been depicted as a character on Wynonna Earp and Legends of Tomorrow and was referenced on Watchmen and Justified. Some historians have theorized that Reeves was the inspiration for the Lone Ranger, and he was rumored to have never been injured during any of the arrests he made, despite dealing with dangerous criminals. He even had to arrest his own son, Bennie, when Bennie murdered his wife. Born into slavery in 1838, Reeves was recruited to join the U.S. Marshals in 1875. He was assigned to the Western District of Arkansas, which also had jurisdiction over what was then known as Indian Territory, and served there until 1893. Reeves was removed from his position as a U.S. Marshal when Oklahoma gained statehood in 1907, but he continued to work in law enforcement until 1909. He died in 1910 at 71 years old. 

How to watch Lawmen: Bass Reeves and other Taylor Sheridan shows

Lawmen: Bass Reeves will stream on Paramount+ on Sundays starting Nov. 5. 

More Taylor Sheridan-produced series, like 1883, are currently available to stream on Paramount+.

Season 5 of Yellowstone will return on Paramount Network at a later date (the series was originally announced for a November return, but the writers and actors strikes have likely shifted that timetable). The first four seasons are streaming on Peacock.

Prequel 1923, starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, is available to stream on Paramount+ and has been renewed for Season 2.