Bridgerton Season 4: What you should know about Benedict and Sophie’s love story

Fans have received many hints about what they can expect from Bridgerton Season 4, after Benedict was announced as the main character.

The Netflix series, based on the book series by Julia Quinnrevolves around members of the wealthy Bridgerton family looking for love in 19th century London. Season 1 focused on Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Bassett (Regé-Jean Page), who were the central couple in the first book, The Duke and I.

Season 2 was inspired by The Viscount who loved mewho followed Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) find love with Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley). Despite Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) is the theme of the third novel — An offer from a gentleman – his love story with newcomer Sophie has not yet been explored.

Instead, the third season focused on Colin Bridgerton (Lukas Neumann) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) as seen in Quinn’s book A romance with Mister BridgertonThe restructuring has kept readers on tenterhooks ever since, wondering who the subject of the fourth season will be.

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Showrunner Jess Brownellwho took on the role of creator Chris Van Dusengave a sneak peek of the next chapter in April 2024, telling TV Insider, “I’m not going to give anything away to you, but I think there are some clues at the end of season three as to where we’re going.”

She continued, “So, yeah, I’ll leave it up to the fans to pick that apart, but I think we’re giving a little bit of insight here.”

Scroll down to learn all about Bridgerton Season 4:

Has “Bridgerton” been renewed for a 4th season?

Netflix has previously extended Bridgerton for seasons 3 and 4. The streamer did not provide further details on the focus of each season, but Brownwell confirmed that the season will not air until 2026.

Has the main actor for season 4 already been decided?

Before Season 3 premiered in May 2024, Brownell confirmed that the writing team had already begun work on the next story arc.

“I can tell you that I know who it will be. We are in the process of writing it right now.” Brownell said Refinery29 a month earlier in response to the question of which Bridgerton sibling would be the focus of the fourth season.

Netflix announced in July 2023 that Benedict’s love story with Sophie would be the inspiration for the fourth season.

When would season 4 premiere?

According to Brownell, season 4 will be in production as early as April 2024. However, filming has not yet begun.

“We don’t actually know when it will fall,” Brownell said Refinery29 at the time. “We’re still making sure we write the best script possible before we start production. But we’re really excited about what we’ve been working on. So stay positive!”

What is the love story of Benedict and Sophie about?

“Although his older and younger brothers are both happily married, Benedict has no desire to settle down – until he meets a charming lady in silver at his mother’s masked ball,” reads the synopsis, which Netflix released in July 2024.

Brownell said she was “very excited” to follow Benedict’s upcoming love story, telling Tulum, “It was important for him to discover his true self before he settles down. He’s someone with big appetites, and we wanted to see him live a big life before he settles down. I’m excited to see where he goes in Season 4. There are a lot of things I want to say about that, but I should probably wait.”

Who were the potential candidates for the lead role in season 4?

In Season 4, there were three – or more – potential Bridgerton siblings who could be chosen next to star in the series. With Benedict’s love story with Sophie already postponed, it made sense to revisit him.

Eloise (Claudia Jessie) was also a favorite after being a main character for several seasons. To Sir Phillip, with lovethe fifth book in the series, Phillip (Chris Fulton) when he formed a connection with Eloise.

Francesca (Hannah Dodd) and her book When he was evilwas also an important candidate after the role was recast. Since Dodd took over the role after Ruby Stokes‘ exit, Francesca was more prominent in season 3, which should prepare her for the next leading role.

Will there be any shake-ups in Season 4 compared to the book?

“I’m really not trying to shake things up too much,” Brownell said Refinery29 in April 2024. “I really believe in the vision of the show.”

However, the showrunner did not rule out deviations from the books, adding: “I really want to serve the stories and the books as best as I can. It just felt natural for Penelope and Colin that it made sense to lean into the cliches of a romantic comedy. So this season has a little more humor and there are the awkward lines. So that’s something that will feel a little better in terms of the differences from last season.”

Can fans expect greater LGBTQIA+ representation?

Since its premiere in 2020, Bridgerton has not featured many LGBTQIA+ characters in the series. Queen Charlotte The spin-off, which began streaming in 2023, will be the first time fans will see LGBTQIA+ characters prominently explored through Brimsley (Sam Clemmett) and Reynolds (Freddie Dennis).

However, Brownell is determined to change that in the future.

“This is a show about love in its many forms, and I think it’s only right for us to put queer love at the forefront and tell queer stories,” Brownell told Pride in April 2024. “I want to see more queer joy on my screens, and that was definitely a priority for me when I took on the role of showrunner.”

Brownell remained tight-lipped about which characters might learn more about their sexuality, adding, “How exactly that plays out this season and the next few seasons, I can’t say specifically, but I’m excited to see what fans will see from it.”

Season 3 subsequently confirmed that both Benedict and Francesca were part of the LGBTQIA+ community. “Embracing positive, happy queer love stories that aren’t just about angst or tragedy or things going wrong is a really beautiful thing,” Thompson told Bustle in June 2024.

Related: ‘Bridgerton’ stars who left the Netflix show: Where are they now?

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How will Francesca’s love life change the Bridgerton world?

The season three finale brought a shake-up when Francesca met John’s cousin Michaela (Masali Baduza), whose gender was changed from the original character Michael.

“When we started talking about queer representation on the show, we started with the discussion that this show is about happy endings and that we’re not interested in queer trauma – that we really want to see queer joy,” Brownell told Variety in June 2024. “And if we’re telling a queer story, we want to find a way for there to be a happy ending.”

Brownell acknowledged that there could be obstacles for a same-sex couple given the show’s Regency era setting, adding, “So we did a lot of research to figure out how to make that happen within the confines of our world. And after people see the next few seasons, I’ll be able to say more about that.”

Which actors would return for season 4?

Characters like Penelope, Colin, Benedict, Eloise, Francesca, Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh), Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel), Hyacinth (Florence Hunt), Gregory (Will Tilston) and Lady Whistledown (voice of Julie Andrews) are expected to return for more episodes.

Will couples from previous seasons appear on screen?

Following his exit in season 1, Page has not indicated any plans to return to Simon. Dynevor appeared in season 2 but later announced that she would not be appearing in the next few episodes. Bailey and Ashley, the stars of season 2, returned a season later and have not ruled out further appearances in the future.

Newton confirmed in April 2024 that he plans to stay on the show. “It changed my life, so I know I’m going to stick around,” he told High Life Magazine. A month later, Coughlan confirmed they had received an invitation to return, telling The Wrap, “They told us we’re back for season 4, which is super nice… It’s going to be exciting. (We’ll) come back and have some fun for sure.”

How many books are left here?

Benedict An offer from a gentlemanEloise’s To Sir Phillip, with love and Francesca’s When he was evil are the immediate next options. Hyacinths It is in his kiss and Gregory’s On the way to the wedding are also still on the agenda.