Bridgerton showrunner confirms season 5 and 6 leads (and fans saw it coming)

Bridgerton season 4 isn't even out yet, and we're already receiving exciting news about the upcoming fifth and sixth seasons. The series' showrunner has officially revealed which characters will take center stage in seasons 5 and 6 after the fourth season tells the beautiful love story of Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Baek.

This fantastic news was revealed at the season 4 premiere in Paris on Jan. 14. Deadline got the opportunity to speak with Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell on the red carpet. While she didn't exactly say who the leads of seasons 5 and 6 are, she subtly teased the characters by wearing a suit with two white pocket squares, each embroidered with the initials “E” and “F.”

She told the news outlet that the initials correspond to the characters who will lead the upcoming seasons. However, she refused to reveal which character will headline season 5 and which will take season 6. Obviously, there are only two Bridgerton siblings whose names start with E and F. Those characters are Eloise and Francesca Bridgerton. Their love stories will officially take the spotlight in Bridgerton seasons 5 and 6!

While this is really great news, it doesn't come as a surprise to most fans. After all, longtime viewers have been anticipating Eloise and Francesca’s turns in the spotlight for some time. Many thought Francesca's love story would be told in the fourth season, given how things wrapped up for her in the third installment. If you recall, season 3 saw Francesca quietly stepping into a more prominent role. She got married to Lord John Stirling, with the third season even hinting at a more complex romantic journey to come with the introduction of Michaela Stirling.

For those who read When He Was Wicked, Michaela is the gender-swapped version of Michael, John's cousin, who eventually becomes Francesca’s next love interest after John’s tragic fate. Since the third season brought Michaela into the fold at the very end, it's easy to see why fans thought Francesca's love story would be the focus of season 4. However, the show decided to focus the fourth season on Benedict and Sophie’s romance instead.

Now that we know who the season 5 and 6 leads are, perhaps Francesca's romantic journey will be the first out of the two to fully unfold. In other words, she might be the Bridgerton season 5 lead. Honestly, it would make the most sense. We haven't seen anything about Eloise's love story yet. In fact, she's been against the idea of marriage and romance so far in the period drama. On the other hand, Francesca has already begun her journey into love. This makes her the natural choice to headline Bridgerton season 5.

However, perhaps the fourth season will give us glimpses of Eloise’s evolving perspective on love. In the book, To Sir Phillip, With Love, Eloise ends up with Sir Phillip Crane. We've already been introduced to Phillip in the period drama, but he hasn't been seen since the second season. Maybe he'll make a surprise return in season 4, and we'll finally get to see sparks fly between him and Eloise. If this happens, then we could see her as the season 5 lead. If not, then Eloise’s story might be saved for season 6.

However, keep in mind that this is our opinion. The show could choose to take a different approach. We'll just have to wait and see how the writers decide to unfold Eloise and Francesca’s love journeys.

Stay tuned to Netflix Life for more news on anything Bridgerton-related!