Bridgerton season 4's potential 2026 arrival, who the new lead could be, and more details you need to know

Another season of Bridgerton has come to an end, and that means we now go through the painful wait for another one to arrive! The third season brought with it high-stakes, Colin and Penelope's love story, and so much more. And I know that Bridgerton season 4 is going to be an exciting one, indeed! While the wait is going to be a long one, we have some information to tide us over. And be sure to bookmark this page as we'll be adding new information as it comes. Ready to dive in? Let's get into all the details about the fourth season!

The new season probably won't arrive until 2026

Yup, you read that correctly. Bridgerton season 4 is most likely to premiere sometime in 2026. If I had to take a guess I'd say that it'll probably come out in May or June of that year just like season 3. In speaking with The Hollywood Repoerter, showrunner Jess Brownwell said that it's going to be at least two years between the release of the third season and the new one. This aligns with the drop of the previous Bridgerton seasons as well. Here's what she had to say:

"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,” she continued. “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."

The good news is that the scripts are almost done at this point, so at least we know that things are moving along in that front. It's not known yet when production is going to start back up yet. With how busy everyone's been promoting Bridgerton season 3, I would think that the cast needs a bit of a break before jumping in. As Brownwell mentioned, it takes about eight months to film which is a long stretch. While they are trying to make things go faster, I really do think that we're just going to have to wait until 2026 unfortunately. Patience is a virtue, dear reader.

Who could be the next lead in Bridgerton season 4?

Honestly after the introduction of Michaela Stirling and the emphasis on Francesca and John's story in the third season, the series really managed to surprise me! If you asked me before who the next lead could be, I would have told you the only contenders are either Benedict or Eloise. I would have leaned more towards Benedict just because he was skipped over this season for Penelope and Colin, though that's not the order of the books.

Plus with Eloise, I still see her so young even though Penelope just got married! But she's the voice of a young woman who just wants to be independent and explore the world, with romance not being the first thing on her mind. I think the creative team is going to want to continue to have a character who represents that for one more season. So... it could potentially be a toss up between Benedict and Francesca, though I'm not throwing Eloise out of the ring either. But because of the story we saw with Francesca in season 3 and now Michaela in the picture, it could make sense to go with that story in season 4.

Brownwell and executive producer Shonda Rhimes both know who the lead is going to be in Bridgerton season 4. They just haven't divulged that information to us just yet! In fact, the two mentioned that they actually have an idea of who they want to lead in Bridgerton seasons 5 and 6, even though Netflix has not renewed the show that far out yet. Though Rhimes has mentioned that she's committed to adapting all eight Bridgerton books. So hopefully Netflix will be on board as well. Though I don't see why the streamer wouldn't be. The Regency-era drama is one of its most popular shows. Here's the Bridgerton books in order:

1.  The Duke and I (Daphne)
2.  The Viscount Who Loved Me (Anthony)
3. An Offer from a Gentleman (Benedict)
4.  Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Colin)
5. To Sir Phillip, With Love (Eloise)
6. When He Was Wicked (Francesca)
7. It's In His Kiss (Hyacinth)
8.  On the Way to the Wedding (Gregory)

The cast expected to return

An official cast list has not been shared yet, however there's many cast members who we expect or have a pretty good idea are returning based on either comments from Brownwell, or where the story is naturally going. Others, we're assuming they'll be back but we could be wrong. We'll need to wait on official word from Netflix to find out who's in and who's out.

However I think it's safe to say that Lady Violet will be back as the Bridgerton matriarch, while she may strike up a new romance with Lord Anderson. Plus, there's Benedict, Eloise, Gregory, and Hyacinth who are still unmarried. Brownwell told Variety that we might be seeing Eloise in Scotland, so I'm assuming that also means Francesca, John, and Michaela will be there too.

It wouldn't be Bridgerton without her majesty Queen Charlotte or the professional meddler Lady Danbury either. So I expect we'll be seeing those characters once again. Who I'm not sure about is the Mondrich family, whose storyline in season 3 honestly was unnecessary, as well as the Featheringtons now that the story is kind of done with Penelope and the whole Lady Whistledown thing.

We do know that Penelope and Lady Whistledown are going to be a part of Bridgerton season 4, though in what capacity now that that the secret is out is unknown. Though I hope Portia is at least somehow involved. I can't imagine it without her! Colin will also pop in, as well as Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley have expressed interest in returning when schedules allow as Anthony and Kate, respectively. Another character I honestly don't want to see more of but the creative team plans to bring back is Cressida. Apparently we're not done with her story just yet. Here's who we expect to see again:

• Ruth Gemmell as Lady Violet
• Luke Thompson as Benedict
• Claudia Jessie as Eloise
• Hannah Dodd as Francesca
• Victor Alli as John Stirling
• Masali Baduza as Michaela Stirling
• Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte
• Sam Clemmett as Brimsley
• Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury
• Daniel Francis as Lord Marcus Anderson
• Jonathan Bailey as Anthony
• Simone Ashley as Kate
• Luke Newton as Colin
• Nicola Coughlan as Penelope
• Will Tilston as Gregory
• Florence Hunt as Hyacinth
• Jessica Madsen as Cressida Cowper
• Polly Walker as Portia Featherington
• Bessie Carter as Prudence
• Harriet Cains as Philippa
• Lorn Macdonald as Albion Finch
• James Phoon as Harry Dankworth
• Cristina Pereira as Madame Delacroix
• Martins Imhangbe as Will Mondrich
• Emma Naomi as Alice Mondrich
• Julie Andrews as the voice of Lady Whistledown

7 things that happened in Bridgerton season 3 to remember

• After Penelope confronts Colin about what he said at the end of season 2, he tries to make it up to her by giving her lessons to help her speak with potential suitors as she's ready to find a husband.
• The fact that they're doing the lessons gets out to the ton pretty quickly, but Lord Debling is still interested in Penelope and a viable suitor. He almost proposes but Colin gets in the way when he realizes his feelings. That's when the steamy carriage ride happens.
• Penelope and Colin get engaged, the whole family is happy except for Eloise who is now friends with Cressida Cowper. Plus, Cressida is under pressure to find a husband this season or she'll have to marry a friend of her father's.
• Colin and Penelope sleep together before they're married in the house that will be their home after they tie the knot. Eloise gives Penelope a deadline of telling Colin the truth about Lady Whistledown. But before she does, Cressida sees an out in her situation and claims she is the author as Queen Charlotte is offering a reward to anyone who can lead her to the writer.
• Penelope and Eloise make up of sorts and she rushes to the printer to discredit Cressida. That's when Colin follows Penelope and finds out she's the one who's Lady Whistledown. Though he's angry, the two still go through the wedding but he tries to stay away from her as much as possible because she's not willing to give up her pen. Cressida ultimately finds out Penelope is the true author and blackmails her.
• Eloise, Colin, and Portia are the only ones who know the Lady Whistledown secret at this moment and try to find a way out. At her sisters' ball, Penelope admits to Queen Charlotte and the rest of the ton that she's Lady Whistledown. Most accept it since the queen does, but that might not last. The season ends with Colin publishing the book he's been writing, with the help of Penelope, the two had a son who's the new Lord Featherington (meaning the estate will stay within the family after that solicitor was poking around), and Penelope signing her Lady Whistledown issue as "Penelope Featherington."
• Elsewhere this season, Violet and Lady Danbury's brother Lord Marcus Anderson are starting a relationship; Kate and Anthony are expecting and have headed to India; after Benedict's threesome with Lady Tilley and Paul he's realized he likes his freedom, Francesca and Lord John Stirling get married but she instantly becomes attracted to his cousin Michaela Stirling; Eloise is headed to Scotland with Francesca and the Stirling's to explore a bit of the world; the Mondrich family is now noble thanks to their son now becoming a duke; and Cressida's fate is up in the air on whether she's headed to Wales with her aunt or somewhere by herself.

Stay tuned to Show Snob as we bring you updates about Bridgerton season 4 on Netflix!