If there is one thing that Bridgerton taught us very early on, it’s that we should never get too attached to certain characters. Due to the nature of the show which shifts its central focus across each season as it tells the love story of the various Bridgerton children, as the seasons have gone by breakout characters who played central roles in one season have been reduced to background roles or left the show entirely after a season or two on the show.
Of course, not every major exit has been connected to a central and lead couple! There have been many recurring characters who have since departed the cast and we’ve even seen one major recast of a key character in the show as well.
Three seasons in, Bridgerton has had quite a few notable cast exits but why exactly did your favorites leave the series and could any return? Let’s take a look at the biggest Bridgerton cast exits so far!
Rege-Jean Page as Simon Basset
From the moment fans met Rege-Jean Page’s Simon Basset in the first season of Bridgerton, they immediately fell just as hard for Page as they did his character The Duke. He was a central part of the first season of the show, which is why fans were so heartbroken when he confirmed he would not return to the series after just one season playing Simon.
“Pleasure and a privilege! An honour to be a member of the family – on and off screen, cast, crew, and incredible fans – the love is real and will just keep growing,” Page wrote on Twitter confirming his exit after Netflix announced he would depart the show.
After his exit, it was revealed via The Hollywood Reporter that Netflix tried to get Page to return even offering him a rumored $50,000 per episode for a 3-5 episode guest stint in season 2. However, Page chose to walk away from the show at one point stating that it was the fact that the role was intended as a one-season arc that drew him to the role to begin with.
It’s unclear whether we might ever see him return to the show again, but the door remains open as Simon is alive and well in the franchise and we know Netflix would love to bring him back into the mix.
Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne Bridgerton
While Rege-Jean Page did not return for the second season of Bridgerton after starting as the lead in season 1, season 1 lead Phoebe Dynevor reprised her role as Daphne Bridgerton in season 2, returning in a handful of episodes in a lesser capacity but one that helped to keep her presence on the show intact in season 2 as Anthony began looking for a wife.
Fans hoped to see Daphne back into the mix for season 3; however, Dyneover confirmed her exit from the show ahead of its return telling Variety, “Well I did my two seasons. I’ve done what I wanted to do with that character and she had a great arc. If they ask me back in the future, who knows?”
The good news is that Dyneover seems open to the idea of returning to the show in the future, more so than Page which means we could potentially see Daphne back for season 4 or a later season should her schedule allow.
Ruby Barker as Marina Thompson
We first met Marina Thompson in the first season of Bridgerton and it seemed likely she might have an ongoing role in the show, with Ruby Barker quickly winning over the audience for her performance. As season 1 came to a close, Mariana discovered her lover George had died in battle and she moved away to live with his brother Philip Crane, who offered her his hand in marriage in order to protect his family’s honor when it was discovered Marina was pregnany.
After returning briefly in season 2, we learned that Marina had given birth to twins and turned Colin away after a visit, telling him his fantasies of them running away were pointless. We haven’t seen her since and it’s unlikely we’ll see Barker return to the show as she has openly spoken out about how the show negatively impacted her mental health.
In an interview with Digital Spy, Barker confirmed she has no plans of ever returning to the show and has closed the chapter in her life.
“I wouldn’t return to Bridgerton because A) it wouldn’t be my choice, and B) when I did Bridgerton – obviously this is very much in the public knowledge and stuff like that – I had a mental health crisis. It’s not going to happen, I’ve done my bit,” Barker told the outlet.
There is a chance the character could be recast when it comes time to tell Eloise’s story, but given how she ties into the story a recast isn’t needed…
Ben Miller as Lord Archibald Featherington
While many of the exits on Bridgerton have been connected to actors’ choosing to walk away from the series, Ben Miller’s departure from Bridgerton was connected to a plotline related to the show.
Lord Featherington was murdered in the season 1 finale by a pair of dangerous men who he was indebted as the result of his gambling addiction. With his character being killed off the show, Miller exited the series and has not been seen since – nor is he expected to return.
Ruby Stokes as Francesca Bridgerton
While Francesca Bridgerton remains a part of Bridgerton, the actress behind the character changed between seasons 2 and 3 after actress Ruby Stokes was forced to depart the series after two seasons. Following Stokes’ exit, the role was recast with actress Hannah Dodd joining the cast for season 3 which thrust Francesca into the spotlight as a key character in the season.
So what exactly led to this change behind the scenes? Sorry to report there was no scandal that led to the recast, instead, it was simply the result of scheduling conflicts. Stokes was forced to step away from Bridgerton after being cast in Netflix’s Lockwood and Co.
Unfortunately for Stokes, Netflix canceled Lockwood & Co. after just one season, but she has been keeping busy with a number of projects since leaving Bridgerton so it all seems to have worked out in the end!
Charithra Chandran as Edwina Sharma
Charithra Chandran made her debut in the second season of Bridgerton as Edwina Sharma, a character who quickly caught the attention of the ton after Queen Charlotte named her the season’s diamond. In season 2, Edwina set out to find a love match and thought she found one in Anthony Bridgerton; however, things didn’t quite work out for the pair as it was Edwina’s sister, Kate, who caught Anthony’s eye and stole his heart.
After their failed engagement, Queen Charlotte arranged for Edwina to meet her nephew Prince Friedrich and it was hinted that the two might end up together. While the ending of her season 2 story seemed to hint more was to come for the character, she did not return for season 3 and it’s unclear whether we’ll see her again.
Given she is not a part of the central storylines of the books Netflix will be adapting for future seasons, it’s unlikely Edwina will return in a sizable role but no one has ruled out a possible return for a guest spot down the line so there is always a chance we could see Chandran reprise her role in a future season.
Rupert Young as Lord Jack Featherington
We knew he was trouble when he walked in, so shame on us for still somehow allowing ourselves to be charmed by Lord Jack Featherington. When he was first introduced in season two, Jack was revealed to be the new Lord Featherington following the death of Archibald Featherington in season 1. Unfortnately, he proved to be just as bad as the former Lord Featheringon.
Jack quickly cooked up a scam that took advantage of the people of the ton, passing off fake gems as the real deal in a scheme alongside Lady Featherington. When he was finally busted, she pinned the whole thing on him and then sent him on his way in the middle of the night with just enough money to make it back to America and incentivize him to leave the Featherington women’s lives.
Given he was forced to leave the town in the manner in which he did, it’s unlikely we’ll see Jack – or his portrayer Rupert Young – back on the show as that storyline seems to have run its course.
Calam Lynch as Theo Sharpe
One of the breakout characters in season 2 of Bridgerton was Calam Lynch’s Theo Sharpe, who entered Eloise’s orbit when she came to the print shop he worked at looking for information to assist in her investigation into Lady Whistledown. While he didn’t offer up any help on the Lady Whistledown front, he and Eloise struck up a genuine friendship as they began working together to try to get to the bottom of things.
Unfortunately, things were never quite the same for the pair after Queen Charlotte accused Eloise of being Lady Whistledown. Theo became caught in the crosshairs and made it clear to Eloise that while her family’s status could protect her, he did not have that same privilege or protection.
In the end, Eloise told Theo that she normally paid no mind to what anyone had to say, but she didn’t want Theo to be dragged down by the consequences of her actions and the two parted ways. The hope was that Theo could return in season 3; however, that does not seem to be the case as he did not appear in any of the first part of the season and was not teased in any promos for the second part of season 3 either.
