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Netflix has launched the trailer for Bridgerton Season 2 and it seems like it is winning the hearts of viewers. However, the break-out Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page will not return for Season 2.
In a recent interview with Variety, the actor exclaimed that he was aware that his character would take place for a short period from the very beginning. Page said:
“It’s a one-season arc. It’s going to have a beginning, middle, end—give us a year."
Page further explained that the series, gleaned from the Julia Quinn book, is an anthology that focuses on the love story of a different sibling in each book. This makes sense for the love story of Daphne and Simon, which spans only one season.
'Bridgerton' Season 2 will take the series in a new direction
Fans were reportedly devastated after learning of Page's departure from the show when a declaration was posted on Instagram, allegedly from Lady Whistledown, which said:
“We bid adieu to Regé-Jean Page, who so triumphantly played the Duke of Hastings.”
Regé-Jean Page, later on, confirmed that he had exited the cast members' WhatsApp group chat, saying:
“The Universe has expanded. So I’m no longer in it./ I respectfully exited,... I didn’t want to put them in an awkward situation where they had to kick me out"
Why did the actor leave the series?
However, in an interview, the actor reportedly said that he is eager to watch the series continue without him. He said:
“I have nothing but excitement for Bridgerton continuing to steam train off and conquer the globe,/ But there is also value in completing these arcs and sticking the landing."
It was reportedly disclosed that the actor was never considered to appear in Season 2 on Netflix. According to sources, the production reached out to the actor with a return offer, despite plans for Season 2 of the series, which never entailed his character, Simon Bassett.
The actor allegedly turned down the offer to focus on his upcoming movie offers. He has just finished production on The Gray Man, a Russo Brothers’ film and he is going to begin filming Dungeons and Dragons in Ireland.
On April 13, producer Shonda Rhimes humorously said in an interview regarding the swift backlash to Regé-Jean Page’s exit from the show:
“We didn’t even kill him!/ [Regé-Jean] is a powerful, amazing actor and that meant we did our job—every season, our job is finding the right people and putting together this incredible, world-shifting romance.”
Season 2 will premiere on March 25, 2022, exclusively on Netflix.
