Bridgerton season 4 just got juicier: Release date, first look, cast surprises & jaw-dropping plot theories you need to see

The ton is already abuzz about Benedict and Sophie’s love story.

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Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington have at last enjoyed their Bridgerton-ordained happily ever after. (We wish them many joyful carriage rides!) But lest Netflix let any of us forget, there are five other Bridgerton siblings waiting in the wings for their chance at true love in Regency-era Mayfair: Benedict, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth. And with season 4 already deep into development, the speculation’s already simmering amongst Bridgerton’s most devoted ~~debutantes~~ fans. Who will wed next?

When will Bridgerton season 4 come out?

Viewers can expect about a two-year wait between season 3 and season 4, which means the next season is likely to drop sometime in 2026. “We are working to try and put the seasons out more quickly, but they do take eight months to film and then they have to be edited, and then they have to be dubbed into every language,” showrunner Jess Brownell told The Hollywood Reporter in June 2024. “And the writing takes a very long time as well, so we’re kind of on a two-year pace. We’re trying to speed up but somewhere in that range.”

Deadline reiterated this news when Bridgerton didn’t appear in Netflix’s 2025 slate, meaning it’s expected to return in 2026.

Who will be in the season 4 cast?

Expect most of the Bridgerton siblings and their spouses to return, with the exception of Phoebe Dynevor as Daphne Bridgerton and, of course, Regé-Jean Page as Simon Basset. (Both proclaimed their time on the Netflix series finished as of season 2.)

However, in January 2025, Dynevor insinuated she might be open to appearing if she was offered the chance. In an interview with The Direct, she joked, “I mean, they’ve not called me yet, and I think they’re shooting season 4 right now. So, I’m still waiting for that call.”

Among those confirmed to return are Luke Thompson (Benedict), Luke Newton (Colin), Hannah Dodd (Francesca), Claudia Jessie (Eloise), Nicola Coughlan (Penelope), Jonathan Bailey (Anthony), Adjoa Andoh (Lady Danbury), Ruth Gemmell (Violet Bridgerton), Golda Roshuvel (Queen Charlotte), Florence Hunt (Hyacinth), Will Tilston (Gregory), Daniel Francis (Lord Anderson), Martins Imhangbe (Will Mondrich), Polly Walker (Portia Featherington), Victor Alli (John Stirling), Julie Andrews (voice of Lady Whistledown), Lorraine Ashbourne (Mrs. Varley), Masali Baduza (Michaela Stirling), Emma Naomi (Alice Mondrich), and Hugh Sachs (Brimsley). We’re expecting Bessie Carter (Prudence Featherington) and Harriet Cains (Philipppa Featherington) to return as well.

Netflix also announced a few newcomers:

Yerin Ha as Sophie Baek. More on that below.
Katie Leung (The Peripheral) as Lady Araminta Gun, a widow and mother with two daughters debuting on the marriage mart this season. She’s feeling the pressure of getting them married off, and “does not respond well when anything—or anyone—threatens her standing in society,” according to her character description.
Michelle Mao (A Big Bold Beautiful Journey) as Rosamund Li, Araminta’s eldest daughter. She’s described as “beautiful, vain, and eager to please her mother,” and has her eyes set on Benedict.
Isabella Wei (1899) as Posy Li, Rosamund’s much kinder younger sister. She’s often overlooked by her mother, but her “chatty, overly friendly demeanor often has her putting her foot in her mouth.”

Fans are holding out hope that season 4 will continue Kate (Simone Ashley) and Anthony’s romantic storyline, and in an interview with Teen Vogue published in June 2024, Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell shared that, as long as Ashley and Bailey can find time to film with each of their demanding schedules, she’d love to have them be a part of season 4.

“I think the strength of sending them off to India for a little while is that it does leave the door open for them to come back, schedules allowing,” she explained. “I think, understandably, when any of our lead actors have given over their lives for their season, in future seasons, we want to be supportive of the fact that they do have other projects coming in, and to ask actors to come back just to be in the background is not really fair to them. We love Jonny and Simone, and we’ll have them back as much as we are able to.”

In August 2024, Bailey confirmed that he would be back. During a GMA interview where he was discussing his Showtime series Fellow Travelers, the actor let the news slip. “I have a couple of weeks etched out in my schedule for returning [to Bridgerton],” Bailey said. “I look forward to reading the scripts.”

Bailey reiterated his intention to return in November 2024, saying during an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers, “Gonna reunite with the family next week.” When asked if he ever gets tired of the show, Bailey replied, “No. Well, it changes every year—every two years. What an amazing thing to be a part of. There’s gonna be lots of space for new people to come in, and Luke and Yerin are gonna be great. So I’ll always pop back and say hello.”

Which Bridgerton sibling will season 4 be about?

Benedict Bridgerton will be the next star of the series. Netflix confirmed the news with a video that includes a clip of Thompson receiving his suit for the upcoming masquerade ball, a pivotal moment for Benedict in the books.

Netflix’s official season 4 logline reads, “The fourth season of Bridgerton turns its focus to bohemian second son Benedict. Despite his elder and younger brothers both being happily married, Benedict is loath to settle down—until he meets a captivating Lady in Silver at his mother’s masquerade ball.”

The season 3 finale also made a point to mention Lady Bridgerton’s upcoming masquerade ball, and observant fans will recognize the reference as both an Easter egg and a hint: In Julia Quinn’s book series, upon which Bridgerton is based, Benedict meets his love interest, Sophie, at one such masquerade ball.

But his sister, Francesca, might also share some of season 4’s spotlight. She’s off to Scotland with her husband John Stirling, sister Eloise, and his cousin, Michaela Stirling, who struck such an impression with Francesca at their first meeting. The season 3 finale seems to hint that the show could explore that relationship in the future.

Which Bridgerton book will season 4 be based on?

Season 4 will be at least loosely based upon Quinn’s book An Offer From a Gentleman, a Cinderella-like tale in which Sophie Beckett lives as a maid to her stepmother and stepsisters. When she meets Benedict at the Bridgerton masquerade ball, the sparks fly immediately, but her mask shields Benedict from her true identity. After the evening’s end, Benedict swears to find her, but it isn’t until he encounters a familiar housemaid that he starts to question his feelings.

Who is playing Sophie?

In August 2024, Variety reported that Australian actress Yerin Ha had been cast as Benedict’s leading lady. Ha appeared in Halo and HBO’s Dune: Prophecy series.

Although she’s known as Sophie Beckett in the series, the onscreen version of the character has been renamed to Sophie Baek to honor Ha’s Korean heritage. “A name is the first bit of identity that you share with the world, and that’s why changing a name can be so powerful,” Ha told Tudum. “To make Sophie’s name fit someone who looks like me is really empowering. All credit to Jess Brownell, our showrunner.”

Ha added that the masquerade motif runs deep with her character. “There’s this theme with masks that was running throughout all of my audition scenes,” she said. “When does Sophie put on this mask to cover her emotions? Or vice versa, when does she take it off and when does she soften up? Playing with those [questions] is just really fun.”

In February 2025, Ha said in an interview with People that Simone Ashley and Nicola Coughlan have made it clear that she has their support as the new leading lady enters the fold. Ha shared that they had both been “supportive,” adding, “They’re so lovely….Basically, [they’ve said], if you want advice, please reach out. But don’t get too scared. The fans are amazing.”

But Ha added, “I … wanted to just feel this journey for myself and kind of figure [it] out on my own.”

What have the cast and crew said about season 4 so far?

Cast and crew members have hinted at big plans for Benedict ahead. Newton, who plays Colin, told Men’s Health that season 3 part 2, “for [Benedict], gets exciting and sets up so much for the future. And I know Jess, our showrunner, has so many plans not only for Benedict, but for other characters. The Bridgerton universe is going to be expanding and getting even more interesting every season.”

Brownell confirmed as much in her own interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “We’re toward the end with the writers room season, with the scripts,” she said. “And I feel like it’s some of my best work and my writers room’s best work. We’ve just really gelled our collaboration, and we’re firing on all cylinders so I can’t wait for fans to see what we have.”

Thompson told Tudum, “The storyline is a bit of a twist on ‘Cinderella.’ You remember being told those stories as a child—the magic and the romance of them. It’s really exciting to have that weaved into the world that we know of Bridgerton … It’s such a great story, but it’s also, I hope, really relatable.”

Is season 4 filming yet?

Bridgerton season 4 is officially in production in England, Netflix announced on Sept. 16, 2024. On Christmas Day 2024, the series shared images on Instagram of the cast gathering for a season 4 table read.

Finally, first-look images dropped in February 2025. Take a look below.

Liam Daniel/Netflix