Is Jonathan Bailey’s Anthony Departing Bridgerton After Season 4?
Jonathan Bailey spoke about the future of his role as Anthony Bridgerton following season 4.
“I’ve never been one to say, ‘Thanks, goodbye.’ That’s just not who I am,” Bailey, 37, remarked in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter on June 19, when discussing his potential future on the popular Netflix series. “There’s a genuine sense of pride I feel being part of it.”
He even hinted at some plot details for the upcoming season, saying, “I filmed a wedding on a Monday morning. People already know that weddings happen in Bridgerton — that’s not really a spoiler, is it?”
Bridgerton, based on the novels by Julia Quinn, follows the affluent Bridgerton family as they seek love in 19th century London. The first season focused on Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Basset’s (Regé-Jean Page) romance, the central storyline of the first book, The Duke and I.
Season 2 drew from The Viscount Who Loved Me, which depicted Anthony Bridgerton (Bailey) falling for Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley). Although Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) was meant to be the focus of the third book, An Offer From a Gentleman, his story with newcomer Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha) has been postponed to season 4.
This season instead spotlighted Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) as outlined in Quinn’s novel Romancing Mister Bridgerton. Benedict is set to be the lead in season 4, but with four seasons planned, some former members have departed from the show.
Page, 37, made headlines with his decision to leave after just one season.
“They’re free to do as they wish,” Page shared with Variety in July 2022 when asked about the possibility of recasting Simon. “Shonda and I had a great discussion at the end of season 1. We were pleased with how we concluded that story. We created a strong narrative arc that makes people forget Simon’s darker sides. He truly embodied the quintessential Regency f***boy.”
Page elaborated, “Because we wrapped up that story so well, it’s a wonderful feeling. Ending stories like that requires bravery.”
Though the show didn’t recast Simon, Page remains firm in his decision not to return. Dynevor, 30, later confirmed her departure from the series, a decision that didn’t seem to be entirely hers. Bailey, meanwhile, acknowledged that he might need to depart when his schedule becomes too demanding.
“I look forward to reflecting on what we’ve achieved together after the eighth season, whenever that may be,” he added. “I understand how much I cherish long-running series and the importance of consistent character and story development.”
Bridgerton is available for streaming on Netflix.
