Taylor Sheridan has done it again, and with the newly released trailer for his highly anticipated forthcoming series, Lawmen: Bass Reeves, finally here — we’ve got one thing to say: we can’t wait to watch this story unfold. 

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In addition to historical storytelling and the honor of learning a story that shaped a significant piece of our journey as a country, a central selling point of Bass Reeves is the iconic cast. When it comes to a tale as crucial as the one of Reeves, those set to breathe life into it had to understand the weight of what they’d bring to the table and how they’d portray those closest to the lawman…or outlaw, depending on the moment. 

The true story of Bass Reeves is a layered one, an enslaved man turned law enforcement official (the first Black deputy U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi). Reeves’ story is laced with turmoil and triumph, and it’s also a twisted tale of the line between right and wrong and how often it’s crossed.

Lawmen: Bass Reeves packs a powerful cast

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The cast of Lawmen: Bass Reeves is as powerful as they are full of passion, dedication, and staying power. Taylor Sheridan knows what he’s doing when he begins creating a story to bring to our screens, and there’s no denying that each character is written specifically for the actor who he dreams will play them.

He’s said as much in many interviews; there’s not really an “interview” process for a Sheridan series, because Sheridan knows who he wants when he begins writing these characters. Some of these are based on actual historical figures, and others are written to tell an important story. 

Playing Bass Reeves himself is the talented David Oyelowo, and he’s believable as the lawman in the teasers of the series we’ve seen so far. Alongside him will be Dennis Quaid, who breathes life into Sherrill Lynn, A Deputy U.S. Marshal; Donald Sutherland as Judge Isaac Parker; Garrett Hedlund will bring Garrett Montgomery to your screens, Lauren E. Banks plays Jennie Reeves — Bass’ wife, and Forrest Goodluck will take on the role of Billy Crow. 

With such an iconic cast brought together for one series, it goes without saying that you won’t want to miss a moment of this story.

Bass Reeves highlights a vital story

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Bass Reeves was born into a life of slavery and would go on to become a very important American lawman. Born in Crawford County, Arkansas, Reeves was named after his grandfather, and moved to Texas with his family as a child of eight.

Reeves would become a Freedman, moving to Arkansas once again to farm in the Van Buren area, and from there, would journey into law enforcement to become a man responsible for capturing some of the most dangerous fugitives of their time. This Black lawman was valuable beyond measure for his many skills, one of which was his aptitude for learning Native languages, and becoming well known for the fight for justice.

While we’ll go into a deep dive into the Bass Reeves story soon, it’s important to note that his contributions to society can’t be understated, and many believe his story being told has felt like a long time coming.

Taylor Sheridan is many things to many people, an enigma at best and a man with quite an ego to others, but one thing you can’t deny is that when he tells a story, he tells a story. He considers things no one else would as he crafts characters into storylines that captivate audiences, turning us into lifelong fans. With a story as intricate as that of Bass Reeves’, we’re certainly thrilled that Sheridan is the one telling it.

Lawmen: Bass Reeves is set to begin streaming on Paramount Plus starting on Nov. 5.