Which ‘Bridgerton’ stars will return for Season 5? Creator opens up on two main characters: 'I think if...'
With the recent conclusion of 'Bridgerton' Season 4, the Netflix show has set the stage for the next couple to take centre stage. While the fourth season depicted the love story between Luke Thompson's Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Baek's Yerin Ha, the couple focused on in Season 5 has yet to be revealed. Since the official cast of the next season has not yet been announced, one might have to rely on educated guesswork to determine which characters will return. Despite the uncertainty, it is a known fact that the Netflix Regency-era show has no death of couples waiting to be featured and have their stories told.
In an interview with Forbes Magazine, showrunner Jess Brownell revealed that the casting choices for the upcoming season depend on the central couple around which much of the narrative will be based. Judging by the prevailing rumours, either Eloise or Francesca seems to be the prime candidate. It is worth remembering that Francesca became a widow in Season 4 in the wake of her husband John's death.
She is expected to be paired with John's cousin, Michaela, who was initially referred to as Michael in the author Julia Quinn's novel series. Brownell noted, "I think if we’re thinking about someone like Eloise, actually, her relationship with Kate, as well as her relationship with Penelope, are really important relationships. So those are two characters I would really expect to see. When we talk about Francesca, she doesn’t realise it yet, but she has some overlap with Benedict in terms of queerness. So that is a relationship I would want to see when we get to Francesca’s season."
Apart from Season 4, the first three seasons of 'Bridgerton' have followed a similar pattern, focusing on one couple throughout the episodes, with supporting characters orbiting them. The show's debut season featured Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne, who briefly reprised the role in the sophomore season. Her absence on the third season was felt by the audience, and Brownell mentioned in this regard, "We are not interested in recasting the characters. I think it would feel like a disservice to everything Regé and Phoebe set up in season 1, and all the beautiful work they put into those characters.' At the centre of Brownell's vision for the show is the belief that all the characters who have previously appeared on the show are still 'hypothetically' there, and that she would love to find a time to bring everyone back at some point in the future." Other characters that have returned after their seasons concluded include Kate and Anthony, and Penelope and Colin. Even though there is no official word, fans can expect to see them again next season. 'Bridgerton' is available exclusively on Netflix.
