Bridgerton Won’t Recast Daphne & Simon For Future Seasons

With every swoony season, the titular brood of Bridgerton gets a little bigger — an ever-expanding lineup of love matches and adorable babies that confirm the Bridgertons really are Mayfair’s most iconic family. But in recent seasons, fans have lamented the disappearing act of the show’s founding couple.

So... will Daphne and Simon ever return to Bridgerton? Or will Phoebe Dynevor and Regé-Jean Page’s roles be recast in future seasons?

The Future Of Bridgerton

Even after saying “I do,” Bridgerton couples can be a valuable source of wisdom for their younger siblings. In Season 3, for example, Kate and Anthony helped talk Colin through his complicated relationship with Penelope. And in turn, in Season 4, Penelope was just about the only person willing and able to explain to Francesca the meaning of a “pinnacle” (a topic in which she’s well-studied, given her randy carriage ride with Colin moments earlier).

In contrast, Bridgerton hasn’t seen Daphne and Simon together since Season 1 — nor Daphne at all since Season 2, when she helped Anthony face the truth of his feelings for Kate. With the pair’s absence feeling more conspicuous at each wedding (and, sadly, Season 4’s funeral), fans have speculated about ways to weave them back into the show. However, showrunner Jess Brownell has ruled out one potential workaround.

“We are not interested in recasting the characters,” she told Variety in a new interview. “I think it would feel like a disservice to everything Regé and Phoebe set up in Season 1, and all the beautiful work they put into those characters.”

Brownell went on to explain that the show would “love to potentially have them back at some point” — provided there was something “really meaty” for the actors to do. “To have them come back to say a line at a funeral and just prove that they were there, it wouldn’t feel right for many reasons,” she said.

The showrunner also teased that just because you don’t see them, doesn’t mean the couple is out of the picture story-wise. “I think in my mind, the camera doesn’t capture everything. They’re hypothetically there; it’s television,” she said. “But we would love to find a time to bring everyone back at some point in the future.”

One Star Is Ready To Return

So, where do the actors themselves stand?

Dynevor, for her part, told Bustle in 2025 that she “had the best experience” on Bridgerton and would be glad to return. “If they give me a call and want me to do something, I’m ready for that,” she said. “I’m waiting for it. I’m not sure how Daphne would appear now, but I loved playing her.”

Page, though, has previously shut down reports of a potential return. And in 2022, when asked by Variety about potentially being recast, he told the outlet: “I mean, they’re free to do as they like. “Shonda [Rhimes] and I had a wonderful conversation at the end of Season 1. We were quite happy with how we stuck the landing on that one.”