Francesca Bridgerton will look a little different in Season 3 of Bridgerton, as Hannah Dodd (Anatomy of a Scandal) was cast to replace Ruby Stokes as the mysterious Bridgerton sibling. According to Deadline, the recast was caused by schedule complications, as Stokes is set to star in Netflix’s Lockwood & Co., a series adaptation of the book series of the same name by Jonathan Stroud.
So far, Francesca is the Brigderton sibling with the least screen time, having made occasional appearances during the show’s first season and completely vanishing in the middle of Season 2. The character’s elusive nature made sense given the focus on her elder siblings. But as the series continues making it’s way through Julia Quinn’s novels, the time has come for Francesca to take a central role, something likely made difficult with Stokes’ schedule. Now, with a new star set to step into Francesca’s role, the sibling might get a more prominent part in the highly-anticipated third season. Perhaps Season 3 might even see the introduction of cousins John and Michael Stirling, who both play a huge role in Francesca’s life?
The first season of Bridgerton primarily focused on the romance between Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon, Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page). Season 2 shifted the narrative towards Daphne’s brother Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) as he tries to find a suitable wife. In Season 2, Anthony tries to get married for duty but falls in love with Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley). The two try to fight their feelings while realizing their mutual pestering is a sign of caring, until they finally end up in each other’s arms. While we still don’t have any official plot details about Season 3 of Bridgerton, if the pattern continues it will most likely be an adaptation of the third book in the series, An Offer From a Gentleman, focusing on second brother Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson).
Released in 2020, the first season of Bridgerton became such a massive success that Netflix already renewed the series up to the fourth season. The show’s first season received 12 Emmy nominations, including Best Drama Series, making it also a critical success. Season 2 kept the trend, breaking viewership records and pushing the series to more than a billion hours already streamed. People are hungry for love, and Bridgerton is here to warm our hearts.
Bridgerton is inspired by Julia Quinn’s novels. Season 2 also stars Adjoa Andoh, Lorraine Ashbourne, Harriet Cains, Bessie Carter, Shelley Conn, Ruth Gemmell, Florence Hunt, Martins Imhangbe, Claudia Jessie, Calam Lynch, Luke Newton, Golda Rosheuvel, Will Tilston, Polly Walker, Rupert Young, and Julie Andrews as the voice of Lady Whistledown.
The first two seasons of Bridgerton are available right now at Netflix. There’s still no release date for Season 3, but the upcoming season is set to begin filming this summer in London.
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