Kevin Costner's Western sequel Horizon - Chapter 2 was delayed by months from its original August release date. There were several reasons Horizon performed poorly and is now in trouble, but the sequel will almost certainly fix one of the franchise's strangest problems.

Despite Horizon's problems, Horizon - Chapter 2 will still release in late 2024, and Kevin Costner spent millions of his own money to fund Horizon. If the next movies can't find success where the first failed, it may never be finished. Luckily, Horizon - Chapter 2 already seems to be correcting one big mistake from the original film, and it could help draw viewers into the theater.

Kevin Costner Almost Certainly Won't Take An Hour To Appear In Horizon 2

Hayes Ellison Is A Main Character Now & Will Be Instantly Important To Horizon 2

In Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1, Kevin Costner's Hayes Ellison didn't appear until a full hour into the film. While it was an odd decision, it made sense for Horizon - Chapter 1, given how many characters and plot lines the first film had to introduce, like the entire town of Horizon and the Sykes family. Luckily, Horizon - Chapter 2 will almost certainly feature Costner's Hayes Ellison much earlier than the first movie did. Now that Horizon has set up most of its characters and story lines, there's no reason Hayes can't appear very early in the sequel.

Another reason Hayes will likely be shown on-screen much earlier in Horizon - Chapter 2 is because of how the franchise is drawing all its plots together. After the storylines that began in Horizon - Chapter 1 are drawing together. The Sykes family will likely be on the hunt for Hayes, and Hayes himself could search for Marigold, all the while drawing nearer to the eponymous town of Horizon. As the Horizon franchise connects its plot threads, Hayes is only going to get a more important and prominent role in the series.

Why Horizon: Chapter 1's Long Kevin Costner Wait Hurt The First Movie

Kevin Costner's late arrival in Horizon - Chapter 1 wasn't just odd, it actually hurt the movie. Horizon: An American Saga has a star-studded ensemble cast, but Costner is still the main attraction and Hayes Ellison is still the main character. It was extremely odd that Costner didn't appear for the entire first hour of Horizon - Chapter 1, and the film essentially had no main character for the first third of its runtime. One of the main critiques of Horizon - Chapter 1 was about how it had to split attention between its massive cast, and Hayes' late introduction didn't help.

Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 1 is available to stream on Max.

There's also something to be said about Kevin Costner himself appearing so late in the film. Costner has been the face of Horizon both on-screen and behind-the-scenes. Many of the people who went to see Horizon - Chapter 1 in theaters likely did so specifically for him; he has an alluring charisma that makes him a star. The fact that Costner didn't appear until a full hour into Horizon, however, probably annoyed some of his fans, and could have turned away other viewers who wanted to see more of him. Luckily, Kevin Costner fans should get to see him plenty in Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2.