Apparently Taylor Sheridan has a go-to when he is working on the second season of a show: cast Neal McDonough as a villain. As the Tulsa King season 2 trailer reveals, the character actor is joining the cast of the Paramount Plus original series as one of the opposing forces that Sylvester Stallone is set to face. What's funny about it is that he had a very similar role in Yellowstone season 2.
In the second season of the hit western show, McDonough played Malcolm Beck, who along with his brother Teal, were the main antagonists of that season. The Becks were powerful Montana figures that didn't like that Dan Jenkins (Danny Huston) was attempting to open a new resort with the help of Thomas Rainwater (Gil Birmingham). Despite having similar goals, John Dutton (Kevin Costner) recognizes the Becks are dangerous, which ultimately puts him and his family in their crosshairs as well.
Now, as we see in the Tulsa King season 2 trailer, McDonough is once again at odds with the series' main character, Stallone's Dwight Manfredi. We see McDonough, playing a character named Cal Thresher (per IMDb), calling Manfredi a problem by saying he is threatening to become competition. While we're sure some of the details are different, the similarities between this new character and the one McDonough played in Yellowstone is undeniable.
It's not unusual for creatives to use actors that they like in different projects, and in addition to McDonough, Sheridan has definitely found a group of actors that he has worked on multiple projects with. It's just funny that McDonough's second go around in a Sheridan-produced series sees him, at least at first glance, taking on such similar roles.
As for what else we see in the Tulsa King season 2 trailer, Dwight has a bit of legal trouble at the start, but it doesn't appear to be anything he can't handle. So it's full steam ahead as he and his crew look to expand their business through more legitimate means to hide the shadier stuff, including wind turbines apparently. It also looks like he has a new love interest and is continuing to repair the relationship with his daughter Tina.
Watch the Tulsa King season 2 trailer right here:
The official synopsis for Tulsa King season 2 reads, "Dwight and his crew continue to build up and defend their growing empire in Tulsa but, just as they get their bearings, they realize that they're not the only ones who want to stake their claim. With looming threats from the Kansas City mob and a very powerful local businessman, Dwight struggles to keep his family and crew safe while keeping track of all his affairs. Plus, he still has unfinished business back in New York."
In addition to Stallone and McDonough, the series also stars Martin Starr, Jay Will, Max Casella, Vincent Piazza, Tatiana Zappardino, Frank Grillo, Annabella Sciorra, Domenick Lombardozzi, Andrea Savage, Garrett Hedlund and Dana Delany.
Tulsa King season 2 premieres worldwide on Paramount Plus on Sunday, September 15. Paramount Plus subscribers can catch up with the entire series on the streaming service, or US viewers can also watch episodes of Tulsa King season 1 Sundays on CBS for the next few weeks.
