Kevin Costner’s ‘Tombstone’ Replacement Is Still a Masterpiece, 32 Years Later
Michael John Petty is a Senior Author for Collider who spends his days writing, in fellowship with his local church, and enjoying each new day with his wonderful wife and precious daughters. At Collider, he writes features, reviews, recaps, interviews, and breaking news on select occasion. In addition to writing about stories, Michael has told a few of his own, from supernatural thrillers to historical fiction. His Western short story, The Devil's Left Hand, received the Spur Award for "Best Western Short Fiction" in 2025 from the Western Writers of America, of which he is a member. Michael currently resides in North Idaho with his growing family.
Move over Tombstone, because there’s another Western in streaming town. Okay, fine, if there was enough room for both Wyatt Earp interpretations back in the '90s, there's definitely enough room for them now. Still, considering that the 1993 Kurt Russell flick fixates on a particular window into Earp's complicated life and history, the competing motion picture starring Kevin Costner (which came out months later in 1994) deserves some extra love after being sidelined for all these years. Yes, we're talking about Wyatt Earp, a film that grew out of Costner's departure from the cast of Tombstone in the first place.
'Wyatt Earp' May Not Be 'Tombstone,' but Maybe That's a Good Thing
It's not exactly a secret that Tombstone was beloved by audiences and critics alike. No doubt, we here adore the action-packed, character-focused Western for all the reasons often highlighted by fans. It's an exceptional film. That said, Wyatt Earp was largely slept-on or criticized unfavorably by comparison, and that's kind of a shame. Rather than explicitly exploring the events surrounding the "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" in Tombstone (though it certainly still touches on that), this Lawrence Kasdan-directed picture takes a more intimate approach with its hero. Costner himself — who reunites with Kasdan on their first Western together after SIlverado nearly a decade earlier — delivers a performance geared more towards Wyatt's complex psychology, personal tragedy, and broader family history. The movie paints a larger portrait of Wyatt’s life, from his youth during the Civil War to his time as a lawman in Dodge City to his eventual move to Tombstone, giving the viewer a more rounded view of just who Wyatt Earp is.
If Tombstone is aptly named for the Arizona town, then Wyatt Earp is just as accurately titled for the way it engages with the larger story of the lawman's life. Of course, what Wyatt Earp may lack in style by comparison to Tombstone, it certainly offers back in substance. Some may not appreciate its time-jumping, but the way the film is structured allows the viewer to amble through the broadest take on Wyatt’s life. The biographical drama gives us further context to Wyatt’s war on the Cowboys after the death of his brother Morgan (Linden Ashby), and a better understanding of his past struggles with love. Unlike Tombstone, the picture gives an account of the first real tragedy in Earp's life in the form of the sudden death of his first wife, Urilla Sutherland (Annabeth Gish), and unborn child. This feeds into why things don't work out between himself and Mattie Blaylock (Mare Winningham).
Kevin Costner Offers a Balanced Performance as Western History's Most Famous Lawman
Wyatt Earp doesn’t spoon-feed the viewer with flashy action or flowery dialogue, but rather aims for something more meditative. If Tombstone is a reminder of the mythic reputation of the Old American West, then Wyatt Earp is more like a history textbook hoping to educate. Of course, both pictures are quite historically accurate in their own ways (Tombstone nails the main gunfight in question), but the charismatic appeal of the 1993 flick has little place in Wyatt Earp. Part of that is due to the performance of Kevin Costner, whose Earp is a far cry from what we got from Kurt Russell, and yet still plays the Dodge City lawman quite effortlessly. There's a somber cadence that Costner adds to the character that doesn't completely do away with his casual period charm, but adds a layer of mystery and tragedy to him. We understand why he is pulled in by Josie Marcus (Joanna Going), despite the scandal.
Wyatt Earp, like Tombstone, also boasts quite a stacked cast. Okay, so he may not be Val Kilmer, but Dennis Quaid plays a complicated and mean-looking Doc Holliday who has plenty of charisma of his own. The film details not only their friendship during their time in Tombstone, but also their famed first meeting. Additionally, Wyatt Earp features stars like Gene Hackman, Mark Harmon, Michael Madsen, Catherine O'Hara, Bill Pullman, and Jim Caviezel, among others who all contribute to Costner's (and Kasdan's) particular vision for the story of Wyatt Earp. It may be one of the lesser-loved Westerns in Costner's catalog, but it's still a great time.
Wyatt Earp is available for rent or purchase digitally on Prime Video.
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