Bridgerton season 3 shocker: Netflix announces recasting of beloved Bridgerton sibling

Bridgerton is no stranger to casting changes and it seems the hit Netflix series is about to undergo yet another shocking casting move ahead of Bridgerton season 3.

As fans will recall, in season 2, Francesca Bridgerton appeared very early on before disappearing for the majority of the season. Her absence created a lot of confusion among fans leading Bridgerton creator Chris Van Dusen to address the character’s absence.

In speaking with TVLine, Van Dusen revealed that the actress who plays Francesca, Ruby Stokes, was only able to shoot three episodes of Bridgerton season 2 due to scheduling conflicts caused by her role in the new Netflix series Lockwood & Co. 

With Stokes accepting a series regular in the new series, there were a lot of questions about what the future could hold for her character and whether she’d once again only appear on a limited basis in season 3. However, it seems the powers that be have instead decided to recast the role of Francesca Bridgerton which should pave the way for more of the character in both Bridgerton season 3 and season 4.

Who is playing Francesca Bridgerton in Bridgerton season 3?

As first reported by Deadline, the role of Francesca Bridgerton will be taken over by Anatomy of a Scandal actress Hannah Dodd, who has been tapped to take over the role from Ruby Stokes beginning in Bridgerton season 3.

While it’s unclear how many episodes Dodd will appear in across the upcoming third season, she has joined the cast as a series regular which seems to hint we’ll be seeing much more of Francesa Bridgerton after the character appears in a much more limited role across seasons 1 and 2.

According to reports, Stokes was a recurring guest star on the series which is what allowed her the opportunity to take the series regular role in Lockwood & Co. which she has now officially departed Bridgerton for.

Casting on additional season 3 roles is said to be underway, so we should learn more about who else might be entering the fray when season 3 arrives on Netflix.

Bridgerton is streaming now on Netflix.