Bridgerton season 3 latest news, rumours, spoilers, release date cast speculation

Bridgerton season 3 release date speculation

Unfortunately, Netflix hasn’t announced Bridgerton season 3’s release date yet – but this author will, of course, update this page as soon as news arrives.

While we know that Bridgerton is definitely returning for season 3, we don’t know much more about it when it comes to its release date.

Nicola Coughlan, who plays Penelope Featherington in the show, told press on Tuesday that she was hoping to ask the show’s new showrunner about the new season next week, saying: “I may have a call with our new showrunner Jess Brownell and be like, ‘So what’s happening?’… but yeah, I’m excited.”

As season 2 took just over a year to arrive on our screens after the show first debuted on Netflix, hopefully, season 3 will arrive in early 2023 – especially since COVID restrictions have almost completely lifted.

While we don’t know exactly when season 3 will land on Netflix, at least it’s confirmed to be coming back not just for season 3, but for season 4 as well.

Netflix shared the good news back in April 2021 in a tweet, writing: “BREAKING NEWS FROM THE TON. Bridgerton is returning for seasons three *AND* four!”

The show’s creator Chris Van Dusen won’t be returning to Bridgerton as showrunner for the upcoming seasons, with the screenwriter handing over the reins to Jess Brownell for season 3.

Van Dusen said: “Bridgerton will always have a special place in my heart and I think I did what I set out to do.

“But at the end of the day, you know, it was time for me to move on, and hopefully create that magic again in the near future.”

Bridgerton season 3 cast speculation

The following fan-favourite cast members have been confirmed for Bridgerton Season 3:

• Jonathan Bailey as Anthony, Viscount Bridgerton
• Simone Ashley as Kathani “Kate” (née Sharma), Viscountess Bridgerton

Speaking to Deadline, Ashley confirmed the exciting news.

“We’re going to be back! Kate and Anthony are just getting started,” she said. “We have the amazing Jess Brownell who is taking the lead as showrunner in season 3.

“I think everything is just starting. I’d like to see Kate just let go a bit more and play more in season 3 and kind of swim in that circle of love together. I think they both deserve it.”

Promising audiences a “more headstrong” Kate in season 3, Ashley added: “She’s in charge of the household now and she’s got big boots to put on. I think she can do it.

“I want to keep that softness and vulnerability to Kate, for sure, and she can share that with Anthony. I’m just excited for her to have a home and to have a family. I’m excited to see her grow.”

Unless confirmed otherwise, we expect these other cast members to return for Bridgerton season 3.

• Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury
• Lorraine Ashbourne as Mrs Varley
• Harriet Cains as Philippa Featherington
• Bessie Carter as Prudence Featherington
• Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington
• Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne Basset (née Bridgerton), Duchess of Hastings
• Ruth Gemmell as Violet, Dowager Viscountess Bridgerton
• Florence Hunt as Hyacinth Bridgerton
• Claudia Jessie as Eloise Bridgerton
• Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton
• Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte
• Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton
• Will Tilston as Gregory Bridgerton
• Polly Walker as Portia, Baroness Featherington
• Martins Imhangbe as Will Mondrich
• Calam Lynch as Theo Sharpe
• Julie Andrews as the voice of Lady Whistledown

If the following season adapts the third book in Julia Quinn’s series, we should expect Luke Thompson to take centre stage as Benedict Bridgerton.

If it follows the novel, we should expect an actress to be cast as his love interest from the novel An Offer from a Gentleman – Sophie Beckett.

However, the series may make adaptational changes to his story so perhaps we will meet this character but with a twist.

While Netflix is yet to confirm which cast members are certain to return to Bridgerton for season 3, we’re likely to see the core cast reprise their roles as the Bridgerton family – including Ruth Gemmell (Violet), Luke Newton (Colin), Claudia Jessie (Eloise), Florence Hunt (Hyacinth) and Will Tilston (Gregory).

Speaking to press ahead of season 2, Bailey and Simone Ashley, who plays his love interest Kate Sharma, spoke about whether they would return for a third season, with Bailey saying: “We’ll have to wait and see if we’re invited.”

Ashley added: “If I were to return for season 3, I would love to continue Kate and Anthony’s love story and see them play post-marriage and enjoy that honeymoon romance that they deserve. And a lot more horse-riding.”

Meanwhile, Charithra Chandran, who plays Kate’s sister Edwina, said that she’s not sure if her character will feature in season 3, adding: “For Edwina, I’d say she’s not a Bridgerton and at the end of the day, the show is about the Bridgerton family that we know exists in the Bridgerverse, as we like to say. But I’ve been so happy to have such a great part this season and I’m just grateful for that.”

We’re sure we can rely on seeing the likes of Adjoa Andoh (Lady Danbury), Nicola Coughlan (Penelope Featherington), Bessie Carter (Prudence Featherington), Harriet Cains (Philippa Featherington), Polly Walker (Portia Featherington) and Golda Rosheuvel (Queen Charlotte) in season 3, as well as Dame Julie Andrews, who voices Lady Whistledown.

Bridgerton season 3 plot rumours

**Spoilers ahead for Bridgerton season 2**

We don’t know for sure what Bridgerton season 3 will be covering, but we can take an educated guess since the seasons so far have roughly followed the events of Julia Quinn’s book series.

The third novel in the Bridgerton book order is An Offer from a Gentleman, which focuses on the love story of Benedict Bridgerton – the family’s second eldest son – and so season 3 could follow Luke Thompson’s character, who at the end of season 2 had left the art studio after learning his membership had been bought by his brother.

However, creator Chris Van Dusen told press that the show isn’t strictly sticking to the events of the book.

“It’s not a given that we’re following the order of the books and I think whatever we do in season 3 and whatever sibling we’re focused on still remains to be seen,” he said.

So, whether Benedict gets his time in the spotlight or whether the show takes on a different focus remains to be seen.

Whatever season 3 covers, we’re sure we’ll also find out whether Eloise and Penelope manage to mend their friendship after Eloise discovers she is Lady Whistledown, while another season is likely to tell us whether the Featheringtons recover their financial position after cousin Jack turned out to be a fraudster.

What’s more, as detailed above, Anthony and Kate are set to return for the third instalment, with Simone Ashley promising a more “heart strong” Kate, but what exactly is going to unfold between the pair remains to be seen.

Who will Bridgerton season 3 be about?

There’s no official word yet on which Bridgerton will take centre stage in the third season, but we do have a couple of clues to follow.

First, of course, is the narrative focus of the third book. As noted above, if the series were to follow the order of Julia Quinn’s novels, that would mean season 3 focusing on Benedict as it’s lead.

However, Shonda Rhimes herself has hinted this might not be the case.

“We’re not necessarily going in order—but we are going to be seeing each one of the siblings and their stories,”.

And Kate Sharma actress Simone Ashley has also appeared to suggest ‘Polin’ (Penelope and Colin) could be the primary relationship in the next season.

“There will be a post-marriage Kanthony story for sure,” she told E! News. “And I’m super excited for the world to see Nicola [Coughlan] and Luke [Newton] rock it, but also to just play with the Anthony and Kate story now that they’re loved up and they’ve kind of sorted themselves out.”

Stay tuned for more information as we get it.

Bridgerton seasons 1 and 2 are streaming now on Netflix.