Taylor Sheridan has a huge assortment of upcoming projects. From new Yellowstone shows like the Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler spinoff to new seasons of existing series like Mayor of Kingstown season 4, the writer will be quite busy for some time.

Even with all of his Yellowstone-related shows on the way, however, Sheridan chose to reference a completely different project in 1923. That project is the only one that could be a movie, the only one based on historical fact instead of fiction, and one of the few that didn’t seem to be connected to Yellowstone at all.

1923 Season 2 Name-Dropped Taylor Sheridan’s 1883 Character & Upcoming Movie

Sheridan Played Charles Goodnight In 1883 & Is Adapting A Movie About Quanah Parker

In the premiere of 1923 season 2, Teonna Rainwater (Aminah Nieves) and Pete Plenty Clouds (Jeremy Gauna) were interrupted by a roaming cowboy. The cowboy mentioned that Mr. Goodnight owned the land they were on, and that name has a deeper connection to Sheridan and his writing.

Taylor Sheridan played Charles Goodnight in 1883, who is the same historical figure who owned the ranch Teonna and Pete wandered onto in 1923. Goodnight was a legendary frontiersman who pioneered several trails and invented the chuckwagon, and he also founded and ran the JA Ranch in the Palo Duro Canyon in Texas, which is presumably the one featured in 1923.

Charles Goodnight wasn’t the only historical figure the cowboy mentioned in 1883, however. He also said that Goodnight was friends with Quanah Parker, who is the main character of one of Sheridan’s upcoming projects.

Sheridan is set to adapt Empire of the Summer Moon, a historical book about Chief Quanah Parker and his time leading the Comanche nation from 1890 to 1911. There’s no chance Sheridan accidentally mentioned the protagonist of his upcoming project by name. While it could have been a simple reference to a piece of history Sheridan is interested in, there could also be more to the cowboy’s words.

Could Taylor Sheridan Make A Cameo In 1923 Season 2?

Goodnight May Not Appear, & He May Be Too Old In 1923 For Sheridan To Play Him

There are also a few reasons why Taylor Sheridan may not play Charles Goodnight again in 1923 season 2, however. Goodnight was born in 1836, meaning he would be an 87-year-old man in 1923. Sheridan is far too young to play an octogenarian, and while his appearance could be altered with makeup or CGI, 1923 could just as easily cast a different actor to play Goodnight.

Of course, there’s also the more-than-likely chance that Goodnight won’t be in 1923 at all, and that no one will play him. If that proves to be the case, it still won’t be Sheridan’s last chance to play Charles Goodnight.

Will Taylor Sheridan’s Empire Of The Summer Moon Be A Yellowstone Spinoff?

Empire Of The Summer Moon Seemed Like A Standalone Story, But 1923 May Hint That It Will Connect To Yellowstone

Thanks to Charles Goodnight in 1883, it’s clear that Sheridan doesn’t mind blurring the line between his own fictional characters and real historical figures. There’s even a chance that Sheridan could play Goodnight again in Empire of the Summer Moon.

Goodnight and Quanah Parker were good friends who often exchanged letters, and the timeline of the story means Goodnight would be about the right age for Sheridan to portray him.

That in itself would be a connection to Yellowstone, but Parker could even encounter anyone from James Dutton (Tim McGraw) to Jacob Dutton (Harrison Ford), and 1923 season 2 made it possible.