Unsettling Bridgerton S3 Update: Fan Favorite Actress Leaves Cast

Summary:

• Bridgerton is a period romance drama based on Julia Quinn's book series of the same name. While the plot focuses on the siblings of the Bridgerton family, the show has a strong portrayal of background characters as well.
• While Marina Thompson was a minor character in the books, her story was fleshed out on the show and she quickly became a fan favorite.
• Now, the actress who portrayed Marina during the first two seasons of the show, Ruby Barker, has made a statement that she won't be coming back, which puts Marina's fate in question.

No one has ever questioned Shonda Rhimes' ability to make us laugh, cry, and sit on the edge of our seats during a political drama. This is exactly why she was the perfect choice of producer to bring the Bridgerton book series, which so many people adore, to life.

And it is safe to say that the first two seasons have easily lived up to the expectations of the audience. Despite all the challenges the production faced during the COVID pandemic and all the on-set restrictions that came with it, nothing ever translated to the screen. The story continued to flow from one romance to the next but seemed to slow down before the third.

Bridgerton Season 3 started out as good news for fans of Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington, as it was announced that the season would be dedicated to their story. However, it quickly became clear that Netflix wasn't going to rush the release.

Besides, there was a new hot thing in the Bridgerton universe, a prequel to the story, Queen Charlotte, so the network decided to release it earlier and focus all promotional efforts on it. You can easily imagine how angry all the #Polin fans were to see their favorite love story delayed.

But that wasn't the only big thing the creators behind the third season of Bridgerton had to overcome. From two major strikes, WGA and SAG-AFTRA, with one union winning fair working conditions and others still fighting for them, to multiple recasts, the whole ordeal ended up being tweaked over and over again.

Who Did They Recast For Bridgerton Season 3?

One of the actresses already confirmed to be recast is Francesca Bridgerton. As the third daughter of the Bridgerton family, Francesca played an important role in the family dynamic in the books but ended up being completely ignored in the show.

The reason she was only mentioned twice in a season was due to a scheduling conflict with the actress previously cast in the role, Ruby Stokes. By recasting her and signing up Hannah Dodd, the Bridgerton team hopes to find a way to bring the character back into the story.

Besides, if all goes according to Shonda Rhimes' grand plan, Francesca will have her own season relatively soon, so it might be better to have an actress ready to step in at any moment.

Another recast is not yet confirmed, but highly likely, as the original actress for the role has now announced that she won't be coming back for Bridgerton. Ruby Barker's latest statement to Digital Spy puts a full stop to her involvement in the Netflix hit.

“I wouldn’t return to Bridgerton because A) it wouldn't be my choice, and B) when I did Bridgerton – obviously this is very much in the public knowledge and stuff like that – I had a mental health crisis. So whilst I was having the most amazing and most important experience in my professional life, my health was deteriorating so, so much, so, so quickly,” she said.

Knowing how tragically Marina's story ends in the books, the actress doubts the creators would ever ask her to go through it on screen. Viewers, however supportive of Barker's decision to prioritize her mental health, wonder what the rest of Marina Thompson's life would look like from her perspective.

What Will Happen to Marina Thompson In Season 3?

There are two obvious ways the Bridgerton team could handle the news.

One way would be to recast an actress for Marina Thompson and bring her back here and there since she plays a major role in the lives of both Colin Bridgerton and Philip Crane, who will appear in Eloise's story in the future. Another option would be to not show her at all, leaving all the major events of her life behind the camera.

While neither option is ideal, fans aren't ready to give up on Marina just yet. Considering how dedicated Shonda Rhimes has been to crafting and developing her story, it would be a shame to see it all go away and the character relegated to the shadows. A proper recast would definitely give her character more opportunities.

Whatever the producers have decided, we will gladly accept it when Bridgerton Season 3 premieres. For now, though, all Bridgerton fans are getting from both Netflix and Shondaland is radio silence. So if you're looking for more Bridgerton in the near future, you may have to wait a little longer.

Keep an eye out for news and updates!

Source: Digital Spy