Lady Whistledown will certainly have something to say about this! Season 2 of Bridgerton is still two months away, but fans have waited long enough for a sneak peek. Thankfully, a batch of new photos was released to hold them over.
Netflix dropped several shots that tease Anthony’s (Jonathan Bailey) romance with Kate (Simone Ashley), which will be the main focus of season 2. In the pictures, the newcomer dances closely with her love interest and bonds with his family, including the viscount’s younger brother Benedict (Luke Thompson).
Elsewhere in the photos, fans get their first glimpse of Daphne’s (Phoebe Dynevor) return without husband Simon (Regé-Jean Page). After the couple fell in love during season 1, which premiered in December 2020, the actor, 33, confirmed in April 2021 that he would not reprise his role as the Duke of Hastings in season 2.
“It’s a one-season arc,” Page told Variety at the time. “[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.”
The For the People alum added that he had “nothing but excitement” for the show to continue without him, but there was “value in completing these arcs and sticking the landing.”
For her part, Dynevor, 26, revealed in May 2021 that she knew about her costar’s exit ahead of the announcement.
“I guess it is a spanner,” she said on the “Variety Awards Circuit Podcast” at the time. “But again, the show centers around the Bridgertons, and there are eight books. And I think maybe the fans of the books were more aware of that happening than the fans of the show. Because I think the fans of the books know that every episode is about a different sibling. And we’re very much passing on the baton to the lovely [Jonathan Bailey].”
Dynevor later told The Wrap in June 2021 that Page’s character will “definitely be referred to a lot” during season 2. “I think we’ll see the baby,” she noted. “And we’ll just focus more on her relationship with the Bridgerton family.”
Us Weekly confirmed in July 2021 that production on season 2 shut down multiple times due to positive COVID-19 tests. Filming officially wrapped in November 2021.
Amid the period drama’s success, Netflix renewed the show for seasons 3 and 4 in April 2021.
Scroll through the gallery below to see the first photos from season 2 of Bridgerton:
