The moment that "Bridgerton" season 3 and all of its carriage-rattling, Lady Whistledown-revealing fun came to an end — don't worry, you can revisit the romantic adventures of Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) whenever you want with a Netflix subscription — our attentions immediately turned to next season.
Yes, "Bridgerton" season 4 was announced by the streaming platform all the way back in April 2021, and we've already got burning questions about the upcoming episodes. We officially know which Bridgerton sibling will serve as this season's romantic lead (more on that in a minute), but just how faithful will the new episodes be to that character's book?
No matter how closely production sticks to the source material, the fourth season of "Bridgerton" will surely have all of the opulent costumes, sumptuous ballrooms and romantic steaminess we've come to expect from the Netflix series. Here's everything you need to know about "Bridgerton" season 4.
'Bridgerton' season 4 release date window
Bad news, Ton diehards: not only is there not yet an official release date for "Bridgerton" season 4, but it also seems like there's going to be a bit of a wait before we catch up with Anthony (Jonathan Bailey), Benedict (Luke Thompson), Colin and the rest of the Bridgerton brood. Fans can expect to see a new season sometime in 2026, per an interview with "Bridgerton" showrunner Jess Brownell.
“We are working to try and put the seasons out more quickly, but they do take eight months to film and then they have to be edited, and then they have to be dubbed into every language,” Brownell told The Hollywood Reporter last June. “And the writing takes a very long time as well, so we’re kind of on a two-year pace. We’re trying to speed up, but somewhere in that range.”
A two-year wait isn't unprecedented for the series: The first season premiered in December 2020, with season 2 following in March 2022 and season 3 dropping in May 2024.
At least the powers that be are planning to make the wait worth your while:
“I’m really excited about what we’re writing. We’re toward the end with the writers room season, with the scripts. And I feel like it’s some of my best work and my writers' room’s best work," Brownell told THR. "We’ve just really gelled our collaboration, and we’re firing on all cylinders, so I can’t wait for fans to see what we have.
In April 2021, Netflix announced its renewal of season 3 and season 4. At the time, Netflix VP of Global TV Bela Bajaria said, “Bridgerton swept us off our feet. The creative team, led by Shonda, knew the material and delivered a beautiful, emotional, romantic drama for our members. They have some exciting plans for the future, and we think audiences will continue to swoon for this show. We’re planning to be in the Bridgerton business for a long time to come."
How many episodes will 'Bridgerton' season 4 be?
"Bridgerton" season 4 will reportedly consist of eight episodes, which is the same amount as the first three editions of the show. However, it's unclear if the fourth season will follow in the footsteps of its predecessor and be split into two parts, or if all of the episodes will hit the streamer in go. Stay tuned!
Who is in the 'Bridgerton' season 4 cast?
Though “Bridgerton” season 3 mainly focused on the coupling of Colin and Penelope (who — spoiler alert! — got their happily-ever-after, including a sweet giggling baby, by the season's end), it featured plenty of romantic hijinks for the rest of the Bridgerton clan, from Benedict further exploring his sexuality to Eloise leaving the Ton for a sojourn to Scotland with Francesca, her new hubby John Stirling (Victor Alli) and his beguiling cousin Michaela (Masali Baduza).
According to Tudum, Luke Thompson’s Benedict and Claudia Jessie’s Eloise will both be back for the new episodes, as well as Nicola Coughlan’s Penelope and Luke Newton’s Colin. "I love my role in the show, so I can't see myself going anywhere. I just want to finish the stories off, Newton told Teen Vogue. "I would say there's still stuff to get sorted in season 4, so yeah, that's why I'm there.” And yes, another previous "Bridgerton" main couple will join Coughlan and Newton in returning to the Ton for season 4: Viscount Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and pregnant wife Kate (Simone Ashley).
Hannah Dodd's Francesca, as well as younger Bridgerton siblings Hyacinth (Florence Hunt) and Gregory (Will Tilston) are also expected to return for season 4. And given that Bridgerton matriarch Violet, played by Ruth Gemmell, had her own fair share of romantic tension in season 3 opposite Lady Danbury's brother, Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis), we expect to see both mama and her love interest next season.
Tudum also lists the return of Penelope's mother, Philipa Featherington (Polly Walker), as well as Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury, Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte, Martins Imhangbe as Will Mondrich and Emma Naomi as Alice Mondrich.
And as for new faces, there will be several, the most notable being Yerin Ha as Benedict's love interest, "the determined and captivating Sophie Baek, a victim of tragic circumstances" that the Bridgerton gent meets at Lady Bridgerton’s famed masquerade ball.
Joining season 4 will also be Katie Leung as Araminta Gun, a twice-married and twice-widowed woman with two daughters debuting on the marriage mart this season. "Fabulous, discerning, and blunt, Araminta does not respond well when anything — or anyone — threatens her standing in society," per Netflix. There's also Araminta's beautiful and vain eldest daughter Rosamund Li played by Michelle Mao, who has her sights sets on Benedict this social season, as well as her younger, kinder sister Posy Li (Isabella Wei).
Is there a 'Bridgerton' season 4 teaser trailer?
There isn't an official trailer for "Bridgerton" season 4 just yet, but Netflix has released some teasers over the past few months. In July 2024, the streamer released a 30-second clip announcing that Luke Thompson's Benedict Bridgerton would be serving as this season's romantic lead: "Welcome to the marriage mart, Benedict!"
And as a little Valentine's Day treat, Netflix also published a behind-the-scenes teaser on February 14, 2025, spotlighting Thompson and his new onscreen leading lady Yerin Ha, with cheery cameos from the larger Bridgerton family:
'Bridgerton' season 4 spoilers and book story
Spoiler warning: The following contains detailed information about Julia Quinn's novels "An Offer From a Gentleman" and "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton."
While "Bridgerton" the series hasn't entirely followed Quinn's novels to the letter, seasons 1 and 2 did closely track the plot of her first two "Bridgerton" books, "The Duke and I" and "The Viscount Who Loved Me." Some storylines were shifted from later books, like the revelation of Lady Whistledown's identity.
However, season 3 diverged from the books. It did not take story cues from book 3, "An Offer From a Gentleman," which features a Cinderella-like romance between Benedict Bridgerton and a new character named Sophie Beckett. Instead, the third season skipped over Benedict's story and drew from the fourth book, "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton," which focuses on Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington.
That means that season 4 will get things back on track and focus on the Bridgertons' bohemian brother, the artsy Benedict. The last we saw of Benedict in the season 3 finale, he had just rejected Lady Tilley Arnold (Hannah New) and her proposal of a monogamous relationship, sans their recent paramour Paul Suarez (Lucas Aurelio), in favor of staying single. However, Benedict's plans are thrown for a loop when he encounters the mysterious Sophie Bae at his mother's masquerade ball, which will reportedly take place in the very first episode of the new season.
Thompson told Tulum about bringing the star-crossed lovers’ story to life. “The scripts that [showrunner] Jess [Brownell] and her team have come up with are dynamite. They’re really, really, really exciting,” he said. “The storyline is a bit of a twist on ‘Cinderella.’ You remember being told those stories as a child — the magic and the romance of them. It’s really exciting to have that weaved into the world that we know of Bridgerton … It’s such a great story, but it’s also, I hope, really relatable.”
“What’s striking about Season 4,” Thompson added, “is that it’s the struggle between a proper old-school fairy tale — the romance of it — and the actual reality of the world.” Through Benedict and Sophia's relationship, season 4 will delve more deeply into both the powerful houses of the Ton and the people who keep those aristocratic lifestyles going behind the scenes. “Both are true,” Thompson continued. “You have to hold both of them — the romance and the reality — in your hand. In its best version, ‘true love’ happens in the middle of that.”
Tom's Guide will keep you posted on all things "Bridgerton" season 4, including character details, new clips and trailer, and plot points. In the meantime, you can rewatch the drama's first three seasons on Netflix.
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