Bridgerton has gone through some onscreen recasts and book changes, which has caused some fans to worry that more main characters will look different in future seasons of the hit Netflix series.
Based on Julia Quinn‘s book series, the Regency show follows different members of a wealthy family as they each search for love in 19th century London. After the show premiered in 2020, Bridgerton went through cast changes when Regé-Jean Page left the show after season 1 and his onscreen love interest Phoebe Dynevor‘s screen time was cut as a result.
Other former leads had significantly less scenes from season to season while one member of the Bridgerton family — Francesca — was recast with Hannah Dodd taking over for Ruby Stokes. With there being eight seasons planned in total and multiple years before seasons, some have questioned whether more cast changes are coming up.
Keep scrolling for a breakdown of the recasting concerns:
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The Key Players
Season 1 of Netflix’s Bridgerton centered around Daphne Bridgerton (Dynevor) and Simon Basset (Page), who were the leads of the first book, The Duke and I.
Season 2 took inspiration from The Viscount Who Loved Me, which followed Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) as he found love with Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley). Despite Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) being the subject of the third novel — An Offer From a Gentleman — his love story with newcomer Sophie (Yerin Ha) wasn’t explored until season 4.
The third season instead focused on Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) as seen in Quinn’s book Romancing Mister Bridgerton.
The Gist
Showrunner Jess Brownell confirmed in January 2026 that Eloise (Claudia Jessie) and Phillip Crane (Chris Fulton) or Francesca (Dodd) and Michaela (Masali Baduza) are next in line.
With the long filming schedules causing years between seasons, some fans have expressed concern that Fulton could be replaced as Phillip after being gone since season 2. There were also questions about whether younger Bridgerton siblings Hyacinth (Florence Hunt) and Gregory (Will Tilston) will be played by other actors despite being cast in the show as kids.
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What Has Been Said
Quinn broke her silence in February 2026 on possible changes in future seasons.
“I don’t necessarily know how they’re gonna spin it or write it or what they’re going to keep and change,” Quinn exclusively told Us Weekly while teasing Eloise’s upcoming season.
Quinn also weighed in on Hyacinth and Gregory’s respective seasons.
“It’s funny because they were, like, 12 and 13 when they started. If you asked me that back then [about the same actors playing them as adults], I’d be like, ‘I don’t know.’ But when I saw them again at the premiere, they were both drinking wine,” she told Us. “They’re both 18 now and Will was there with his girlfriend.”
The author pointed out that there were still a few years before It’s In His Kiss and On the Way to the Wedding will be featured with their own seasons.
“[Showrunner] Jess [Brownell] has said the next two seasons will be either Eloise and then Francesca or Francesca and then Eloise, which makes sense. It takes a few years to film, so by the time we get to Hyacinth and Gregory, the actors are going to be well into their 20s,” Quinn explained. “So I think it’ll probably be OK. Will it be weird that we knew them when they were 12? We see child stars grow up all the time.”
She continued: “As a writer, it was hard to write those two books at first. I really had to let them grow up in my mind a bit and that was hard for both of them. I was really glad it took several years — but even so — I can’t remember how much time passed in the writing. I really had to let them grow up. It was tough.”
Brownell, meanwhile, confirmed that Eloise’s romantic future won’t change. “I think we are interested in honoring the love interest from Eloise’s book. I can dispel, she’s not ending up with Theo. She’s ending up with the love interest from her book,” she told Swooon.
The showrunner also shut down other possible recasting — such as Daphne and Simon. “We are not interested in recasting the characters,” Brownell told Variety in February 2026. “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.”
What’s Next
In addition to Eloise’s To Sir Phillip, With Love and Francesca’s When He Was Wicked, Hyacinth’s It’s In His Kiss and Gregory’s On the Way to the Wedding are the only remaining books left to bring to life.
