Bridgerton S3 Is Not Out Yet, But Fans Already Debate On S4 Love Interest Casting

Summary:

• Bridgerton is a romantic period drama television series based on the book series of the same name by Julia Quinn.
• Each season of the show follows the love story of one of the Bridgerton siblings. Daphne and Anthony's stories were told in seasons 1 and 2, and Colin's story is in progress.
• Fans believe season 4 will be Benedict's story and are already discussing possible casting issues.

For anyone who has ever interacted with the Bridgerton fanbase on any social media platform, it's clear how passionate they are about their favorite couples and their stories. So far, not all of the decisions made by the showrunners and producers have been popular with the fans of the books, but some of them have been sure hits.

For example, the change the show's producers made to Kate Sheffield, the original love interest of Anthony Bridgerton, is one of the more popular decisions. Not only did the change in cultural background allow Netflix to diversify the cast with such amazing actresses as Simone Ashley and Charithra Chandran, but it also gave the character a deeper lore.

Many expect a similar change to be made to Sophie Beckett, Benedict Bridgerton's love interest. However, as the whole premise of his book is perhaps the most controversial of all, not everyone thinks it would be a good idea.

Bridgerton Sophie Beckett Fancast

Not to give too much away, but Benedict's original love interest is from the working class, so the difference in their social standing becomes the center of the conflict. And if Shondaland and Netflix decide to go with the book's details, casting a woman of color as Sophie could be a very wrong move.

With Benedict Bridgerton being portrayed by a white man, Luke Thompson, some fans believe the whole storyline could go very wrong.

“Black woman here and that’s definitely one character I don’t love the idea of being a WOC. She’s an unpaid servant (also known as a slave) and then a maid for a rich family, being chased around by Benedict who wants to sleep with her because she’s not good enough to actually marry,” Redditor spicyveggieramen said.

The point is very clear, no matter how much effort the writers put into the script to make the season more ethical for a 2020s audience, there's no way around these facts. The risks of falling into the "white savior" trope are too dangerous to even try to avoid, and there is no way Shonda Rhimes would do such a sordid story.

Fortunately, there is still time for fans to indulge in speculation about Sophie's character and the possible actress who could portray her. Season 3 of Bridgerton won't be released until May and June 2024, so the approximate premiere date of season 4 could be as late as 2026.