Regé-Jean Page will no longer be on Bridgerton. The actor, who rose to fame on season 1 of
the hit Netflix series, will not be returning for season 2, and is not expected to reprise
his role as the Duke of Hastings at any point in the future. The official announcement was
made in typical Bridgerton fashion, with a note from the elusive Lady Whistledown. The
letter posted on the official Bridgerton Twitter account on April 2nd, 2021, read in part:
"While all eyes turn to Lord Anthony Bridgerton's quest to find a Viscountess, we bid adieu
to Regé-Jean Page, who so triumphantly played the Duke of Hastings. We'll miss Simon's presence
onscreen, but he will always be a part of the Bridgerton family."
The news came as quite a shock to Bridgerton fans who simply fell in love with Page's character
- and his on-screen love story and chemistry with Phoebe Dynevor, who portrayed his love
interest, Daphne Bridgerton. In fact, fans were actually led to believe that Page would
be back to reprise his role in season 2 - and beyond - after Bridgerton creator Chris Van
Dusen told Deadline that he hoped that both Page and Dynevor would both return for another
season. So, why isn't Page going to be a part of the show moving forward?
Rege-Jean Page was only slated to appear in one season of Bridgerton, according to Deadline.
Evidently, this was the plan all along, as casting reportedly made the decision using
the first Bridgerton book, The Duke And I, as its basis. Deadline reports,
"His character will be referenced going forward though he won't appear."
In an interview with Variety, Page explained that the idea of a limited appearance was
appealing. He told the outlet,
"It's a one-season arc. It's going to have a beginning, middle, end – give us a year.
[I thought] 'That's interesting,' because then it felt like a limited series. I get
to come in, I get to contribute my bit and then the Bridgerton family rolls on."
Meanwhile, Lady Whistledown's tweet confirmed that actor Phoebe Dynevor will return as Daphne
Bridgerton for season 2. Whistledown wrote in her letter,
"Daphne will remain a devoted wife and sister, helping her brother navigate the upcoming
social season and what it has to offer – more intrigue and romance than my readers may be
able to bear."
And while he will be missed, Page seems to have already moved on from his Bridgerton
role, according to his IMDb page. He's currently filming Netflix's The Gray Man alongside Chris
Evans and Ryan Gosling, and he has been cast in the upcoming Dungeons and Dragons, which
is set to be released in 2022.
The Duke of Hastings will always have a place in actor Regé-Jean Page's heart! The breakout
star of Bridgerton confirmed his departure from the series with a heartfelt Instagram
post. Page captioned a photo of himself in costume atop a horse,
"The ride of a lifetime. It's been an absolute pleasure and a privilege to be your Duke.
Joining this family – not just on screen, but off screen too. Our incredibly creative
and generous cast, crew, outstanding fans – it's all been beyond anything I could
have imagined. The love is real and will just keep growing."
The post garnered 1.2 million "likes'' in just a few hours.
Although many of Page's co-stars have thus far stayed mum over the announcement, rest
assured he's beloved by the project's cast and crew. Showrunner Shonda Rhimes previously
gushed about working with the British actor, writing in a tribute for the 2021 TIME100
Next List,
"In reality, Regé-Jean Page is finer than fiction and better than any dream. He is that
rare actor, one who brings an intensity, an intelligence and a precision to his work,
providing endless depth to any scenes...Today, he may be our duke. By tomorrow... not even
I can dream big enough to imagine."
Seems like Rhimes knew Page had some career surprises in store! Yet Bridgerton fans are
still reeling from the news that Page won't be back for a second season.
Regé-Jean Page won over millions of fans in just a single season. From his smoldering
love scenes on screen to rumors of his real-life romance, Page has plenty of swooning adorers.
Yet now those same fans are demanding answers — and some A-listers. As reported by Entertainment
Tonight, Kim Kardashian commented on the official Bridgerton Instagram post, quote, "Wait!!!
WHAT???". Model Stephanie Shepherd Suganami similarly wrote,
"You guys know he's the reason we watch, right?"
Yet other viewers pointed out the series is adapted from a book series, and the second
novel doesn't prominently feature the Duke and Duchess of Hastings. One tweeted,
"So sad that Regé-Jean Page will not be in season 2 of Bridgerton but they are going
by the books and it wasn't meant to only follow Simon and Daphne."
Another fan agreed,
"He isn't the main character in the rest of the books, he would have been in about two
scenes. I'm not sure what y'all were expecting?"
For those itching to see more of the Duke, at least we still have Season 1. As Shonda
Rhimes tweeted,
"The Duke is never gone. He's just waiting to be binge watched all over again."
Excuse us while we queue up Netflix!
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