Bridgerton returned for its long-awaited fourth outing on Netflix, bringing Benedict Bridgerton’s love story to life at last.
Bridgerton’s showrunner has finally addressed rumours that there are plans to recast some of its key characters going forward.
Two years after Penelope Featherington (played by Nicola Coughlan ) and Colin Bridgerton ( Luke Newton ) became official, the Netflix period drama returned to delve into Benedict Bridgerton’s (Luke Thompson) journey.
As expected with the free spirited second eldest son, his story wasn’t going to be a simple one as Benedict fell for maid Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha) but luckily, they managed to get their happy ever after.
Something that has troubled some fans though is the fact that season one’s Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) has failed to return to the show since the second series.
Much to some fans’ disappointment, Daphne didn’t even show up at the funeral of sister Francesca Bridgerton’s (Hannah Dodd) husband John Stirling (Victor Alli).
The same can be said for her husband Simon, Duke of Hastings (Rege Jean-Page) who hasn’t been in Bridgerton since it first launched in 2020.
Their lack of absence has led viewers to question if Daphne and Simon could be recast for future series so their characters can feature in the show.
However, showrunner Jess Brownell has shut down this speculation, explaining why she wouldn’t want to axe Dynevor and Jean-Page from the Bridgerton universe.
“We are not interested in recasting the characters,” she told Variety.
“I think it would [be] a disservice to everything Regé and Phoebe set up in season one, and all the beautiful work they put into those characters.
“We would love to potentially have them back at some point, but I think, logistically, we want to make sure we bring them back when we have something really meaty for them.
“To have them come back to say a line at a funeral and just prove that they were there, it wouldn’t feel right for many reasons.”
Brownell went on to add that she would love to “bring everyone back at some point in the future” but given the cast’s increasingly busy schedules, this may become a challenge.
Since leaving Bridgerton behind, Dynevor has starred in films including erotic thriller Fair Play, political drama Anniversary and conspiracy thriller Inheritance, to name a few.
Meanwhile, Jean-Page has been in spy thriller Black Bag, fantasy film Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and The Gray Man.
They aren’t the only ones who have been busy away from the Netflix hit as Anthony Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey has since gone on to star in Jurassic World Rebirth and the Wicked franchise.
But if Bridgerton ever did come to an end, could the final series bring the entire original cast back together again?
Bridgerton is available to watch on Netflix.