Regé-Jean Page Addressed The Rumor He's Returning For Bridgerton Season 3
No need to ask Lady Whistledown about this gossip.
Nothing is perfect in the world of happily ever after, but for Netflix’s Bridgerton, it’s pretty close. Anthony and Kate are happily married, and Daphne is a doting mother to her babies. Just one minor detail would make things better — Daphne having her husband, Simon, the Duke of Hastings, by her side. However, despite rumors the former rake would return, actor Regé-Jean Page said Simon will not be in Bridgerton Season 3 after all.
Unlike the series, in which the Bridgerton family is a true ensemble cast, the Bridgerton novels were penned as traditional Regency romances, in which the two main characters are the story’s central couple. Other family members appear at various points, but only as background support. Once the next novel starts, the couple from the last one fades into obscurity, popping up only occasionally thereafter.
The show’s executive producer, Shonda Rhimes, initially imagined Bridgerton would follow the books’ lead, retiring each couple after their story was over, which is why Page, who played the Season 1 love interest, Simon, was not contracted beyond the first season. But Rhimes underestimated how many new fans would imprint upon Simon like a flock of baby ducklings. The production team was startled by the outcry at his leaving the show, and tried to get him back ahead of filming Season 2. However, Page held firm on being one and done.
Still, rumors swirled Page would be back, growing louder when celebrity watchers recently spotted Page hanging out with fellow Bridgerton actor Jonathan Bailey in Milan. However, Page cleared things up on Instagram, posting a photo of himself and Bailey captioned, “The boys are back in town,” before adding a follow-up note that read in part, “(No, I’m not going back to the show btw — the papers made that one up.)”
Since leaving the series, Page has been adamant about his refusal to return. Instead, he’s used his clout to strike while the iron was hot. The actor has signed on to appear in multiple films, including the remake of The Saint, which could become its own, Page-fronted franchise.
Page will next be seen in The Gray Man, which debuts in theaters Friday, July 15, and begins streaming on Netflix one week later on Friday, July 22, 2022.
