Will Regé-Jean Page be in Bridgerton season 3 or 4?

The social season is upon us, Bridgerton fans! The second season is officially in the works, and while we don’t have a release date just yet, we’re waiting with bated breath for any news regarding what’s up next. Sadly for those who fell in love with the character Simon Bassett, it was announced earlier this year that actor Regé-Jean Page would not be part of the cast list for Bridgerton season 2.

If you’re anything like me, you’re now wondering if it’s even worth watching another season without the actor, but I’m sure we’ll all cave and tune in anyway.

Unfortunately, Bridgerton season 2 has not officially begun filming yet, but there have been a few exciting cast announcements, including the likes of Sex Education star Simone Ashley and other promising names. And as of today, April 13, 2021, we’ve just got word that Bridgerton season 3 and 4 are happening! What an exciting renewal.

Fans are all no doubt excited at this big news, and I’m sure many are secretly holding out hope that perhaps Regé-Jean Page could appear in future seasons in some capacity. Is the Duke of Hastings involved in any of the other Julia Quinn books on which the show is based? Let’s get into it.

How many Bridgerton books is the Duke in?

Unfortunately, that number is very little. Simon, of course, is one of the main characters in the first Bridgerton book, titled The Duke & I. This book served as inspiration for Bridgerton season 1. After that, his appearances in the book series are slim to none. The next book in the series, called The Viscount Who Loved Me, follows Daphne’s brother Anthony Bridgerton, and we expect him to be the main character in Bridgerton season 2.

According to GoodReads, Simon Basset primarily appears in The Duke & I and a special collection titled The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After, which features epilogues from previous books. If I were to guess, I don’t believe this collection would be adapted for television, as it strays from the course of the central story a bit. This is just speculation though, of course.

Will Regé-Jean Page return to Bridgerton?

I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I can’t really imagine Regé-Jean Page returning for future seasons of Bridgerton. After news broke that he would not appear in the second season, a report came out claiming that it was the NAACP Image Award winner’s choice to depart the series.

Page Six says that Page left the show because of creative differences, with a source claiming:

"Regé is not coming back to ‘Bridgerton’ because of creative differences with [executive producer] Shonda Rhimes and her team. He wasn’t happy with what was planned for his character for Season 2, which would have kept him a player but not the focal point of the show. Regé has been inundated with offers for other interesting and challenging leading roles."

This reported reasoning is not confirmed by the actor, but that last part cannot be denied. After his success on Bridgerton season 1, it’s even been rumored that Page could be playing the next James Bond. He’ll be starring in the Russo Brothers’ next movie, The Gray Man, and is slated to also star in a Dungeons & Dragons movie.

Despite no longer being part of Bridgerton, you can bet we’ll be seeing tons of Regé-Jean Page on our screens in the near future. Of course, we’ll still be missing the handsome Duke for the next few seasons of the Netflix Original to come.