Missing her Simon? Phoebe Dynevor admitted that season 2 of Bridgerton is “definitely different” without Regé-Jean Page but assured fans that the series won’t forget about the beloved Duke of Hastings.
“I think he’ll definitely be referred to a lot. I think we’ll see the baby. And we’ll just focus more on her relationship with the Bridgerton family,” the 26-year-old actress told The Wrap on Wednesday, June 2.
News broke in April that Page, who played Dynevor’s onscreen love interest, wouldn’t be back for season 2 of the Netflix series.
“I think the fans who have read the books and know the books are aware that every season will focus on a different sibling’s journey,” Dynevor continued. “And it might be a little bit more of a — not shock, but like a surprise for the fans that love Daphne and Simon’s story so much. But I think that’s honestly the joy of the show in the long-term, getting to see these different love stories play out.”
She added that “no two seasons will be the same,” with season 2 following Anthony Bridgerton’s (Jonathan Bailey) journey.
“And I think every season is just going to be really different and magical in its own way,” Dynevor noted. “And that’s honestly what I think is so brilliant about what Shonda [Rhimes] and Chris [Van Dusen] have created. There’s not many TV series that do that, that focus on different characters every season. But I think every season is going to have its own magic, which is great.”
While fans of the breakout star were devastated by the news of Page’s exit, the 31-year-old actor told Variety that he never signed on for more than one season of the romance drama, based on Julia Quinn’s novels.
“It’s a one-season arc. It’s going to have a beginning, middle, end – give us a year,” the For the People alum said at the time. “One of the things that is different about this [romance] genre is that the audience knows the arc completes. They come in knowing that, so you can tie people in emotional knots because they have that reassurance that we’re going to come out and we’re going to have the marriage and the baby.”
While Dynevor previously revealed that she was given a “heads up” about Page’s exit, he recently compared the decision to graduating high school.
“You’re afraid of the unknown, thinking, ‘Oh, my God, I’m never going to make friends as good as the ones I have,’ and then you do,” he told Variety on May 26. “Simon was this bomb of a one-season antagonist, to be reformed and to find his true self through Daphne. I think one of the bravest things about the romance genre is allowing people a happy ending.”
While season 2 of Bridgerton is currently in production, Netflix already picked up the show for seasons 3 and 4.
“From the first time I read Julia Quinn’s delicious Bridgerton series, I knew these were stories that would captivate a viewing audience,” producer Rhimes said in a statement on April 13. “But the evolution of this adaptation would not be a success without the many significant contributions of the entire Shondaland team. This two-season pickup is a strong vote of confidence in our work and I feel incredibly grateful to have partners as collaborative and creative as Netflix. Betsy [Beers] and I are thrilled to have the opportunity to continue bringing the world of Bridgerton to a worldwide audience.”
One month later, Netflix revealed plans for Rhimes to write a spinoff for young Queen Charlotte (played by Golda Rosheuvel on the OG series).
