Bridgerton’s Biggest Star Departs The Series, Is It Being Canceled?
Phoebe Dynevor is leaving Netflix's Bridgerton.
Although it made audiences burn with desire when it first landed on Netflix back in 2020, things have been cooling down for Bridgerton over the last season, and with another star announcing their departure, many fans are left wondering what will happen to the period drama. According to Deadline, series star Phoebe Dynevor will be leaving the production after playing Daphne Basset aka the Duchess of Hastings for its first two seasons. The news comes following the jaw-dropping departure of breakout star Regé-Jean Page, who played Daphne Basset’s husband, the Duke of Hastings, who bowed out following the show’s premiere season.
According to sources, Dynevor’s decision to exit Bridgerton came at the end of her contractual obligations to the Shonda Rhimes-created series. With this in mind, it’s likely that the actress is back out auditioning for other projects and possibly even has some irons in the fire as far as castings are concerned. We know for a fact that her next big-screen appearance will be in the erotic thriller Fair Play where she’ll star opposite Alden Ehrenreich in a Netflix feature about a young couple who find themselves at odds when one of them receives a promotion at a hedge-fund firm.
As for Bridgerton, we at least know that a third season is on the way, which will focus on the remaining cast of characters and their complicated relationships with one another. When we catch back up with the period drama, we’ll find Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) recovering from her desire for Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) after discovering that her romantic feelings are anything but requited with the young man talking badly about her to his friends. The upcoming season will see Penelope try to find a new husband while continuing to discover herself and better honor her own independence, specifically through her secret identity of Lady Whistledown.
But, her secret will be harder than ever to keep under wraps as Penelope will find herself to be the talk of the town in Season 3 of Bridgerton. And, when Colin returns from his holiday and realizes that he’s lost not only the affection of Penelope but also her friendship, he tries everything in his power to prove himself to be a loyal friend. In hopes of rekindling their companionship, Colin attempts to help Penelope find a suitor, but in doing so the young man believes he may have stronger feelings for her after all.
Taking Netflix by storm when it was released in 2020, Bridgerton continues to be much loved by those who enjoy a good dramatic period piece. Although it’s lost some of its top-billed cast, with Phoebe Dynevor being the latest, the show continues to chug along, earning top numbers in viewership year after year. The series has been such a success that Shonda Rhimes and Shondaland announced that a prequel project titled Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story is set to land on the streamer in the upcoming year. The limited series will center around the titular character and explain more of her place in the bigger picture of Bridgerton.
