Phoebe Dynevor Departing Wildly Popular TV Series
Phoebe Dynevor will not be in season 3 of Bridgerton.
The cast of the popular Netflix show Bridgerton has just so much gossip surrounding it that Lady Whistledown could fill one of her letters, and the latest news verifies something that has been long-suspected regarding the members of the ton. It has been reported that Phoebe Dynevor, the actress who played Daphne Bridgerton in the first season and become Duchess of Hastings for limited appearances in the second after her wedding to Simon Bassett, will not be returning for the third. While Lady Whistledown would never reveal her sources, this rumor is reported by TV Line.
The Duke himself, Regé-Jean Page, was not in the second season at all, so the absence of Phoebe Dynevor from the Bridgerton cast does not come as a surprise to many. The series of novels by Julia Quinn upon which the show is based closely follows one couple at a time, with some characters not appearing in the sequel novels at all despite still being part of the very large eponymous family. Further, the glamorous lifestyle led by a Duke and Duchess of that era could easily see them traveling abroad for months or even years at a time, which means they may not be present for many of the series’ events for a lot of explainable reasons.
Regé-Jean Page and Phoebe Dynevor not being a part of Bridgerton seasons may be easily explainable, but another major character will look radically different in the upcoming season. Actress Ruby Stokes has been replaced with Hannah Dodd in the role of Francesca as the third Bridgerton sister is nearly old enough to make her debut to ton society. Ruby Stokes is now starring in the Netflix series Lockwood and Co., so it’s not all bad for the former Francesca, a mysterious character who has hardly appeared in the show but for a few scenes in the late first and early second seasons.
The first family of the on has eight youths whose stories are to be told, all named in alphabetical order: Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth. Phoebe Dynevor’s character Daphne had her story told in the first season, and Anthony’s was the story told in the second. Events in both the books and the series seem to be hinting at Colin, Eloise, and Benedict as being the next characters to be focused on in the show’s future seasons. However, the series also teases the futures of its other characters throughout.
Almost as juicy as the revelation that Phoebe Dynevor will not be in Bridgerton season 3 is the news that Lady Whistledown herself will also see much more development in the next installment as Penelope Featherington continues to wreak havoc upon the ton with the sensational newsletter. Will Lady Danbury and Queen Charlotte figure out who the mysterious author is? Will Penelope’s feelings for Colin finally be returned, or will she always be relegated to being his friend as he pursues other romantic interests?
No release date has been announced for season 3 of Bridgerton, but it is certain that it will come out in 2023 sometime. Phoebe Dynevor is also not entirely out of the Bridgerton family, as she could always return for future seasons since there are eight books that can be adapted. Only Lady Whistledown knows the truth, and she will reveal it when the time is right.
