Is Phoebe Dynevor's Daphne returning for Bridgerton Season 4? Speculations explored 

Phoebe Dynevor, the actress who played Daphne Bridgerton in the popular Netflix show Bridgerton, has talked about rumors of her coming back for Season 4.

In an interview with The Direct on January 16, 2025, while talking about her new movie Inheritance, Dynevor said she hasn’t been asked by the show’s team to return yet.

“I mean, they’ve not called me yet. And I think they’re shooting Season 4 right now. So, I’m still waiting for that call,” she stated.

Since filming started in September 2024, it seems less likely that she will make a brief appearance in the new season. However, Dynevor’s openness to returning to her role keeps the possibility alive for future seasons.

Fans who are excited to see Daphne again are left curious about where the show is headed and why one of its original stars is missing. As production for Season 4 moves forward, the focus turns to Benedict’s love story, while the show continues to explore its usual themes of romance and family relationships.

Here’s a closer look at the main reasons behind Dynevor’s possible comeback and how the Bridgerton world is changing.

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Phoebe Dynevor went from being a leading lady to now having a sporadic presence in Bridgerton

Phoebe Dynevor made a remarkable first appearance as Daphne Bridgerton in the show’s first season. She played a key role in the story, focusing on her character’s love story with Simon Basset, portrayed by Regé-Jean Page. The first season, based on Julia Quinn’s book The Duke and I, turned both actors into stars.

Dynevor’s performance as Daphne, a strong-willed young woman dealing with love and society’s rules, really connected with viewers. However, Daphne’s presence on screen decreased a lot in the following seasons. In Season 2, she took on a smaller role as the story shifted to focus on Anthony Bridgerton’s romance.

By Season 3, Daphne was completely absent, which follows the progression of the book series, where her character fades into the background after her own story ends. The choice to leave her out of Season 3 sparked mixed reactions, with many fans wondering how the story would stay consistent without Daphne, who played such an important part in her siblings’ lives.

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Does Daphne’s absence in Bridgerton Season 4 make sense?

This show's storytelling style, which focuses on a different sibling’s love story each season, closely follows the books. Season 4 will focus on Benedict Bridgerton and his romance from An Offer From a Gentleman. Because of this format, it’s no surprise that Daphne isn’t a main character anymore.

In the books, Daphne’s role becomes smaller after her own story ends, showing her settled life as the Duchess of Hastings. Also, bringing Daphne back without Simon’s character is tricky.

As a Reddit user named Responsible-Funny836 pointed out,

“It’s much harder to explain Daphne’s absence than Simon’s. Just erasing her from the family is weird and doesn’t feel natural.”

Fans have come up with ideas to keep Daphne connected to the family, like showing her through letters or short appearances by herself.

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Can Daphne return to Bridgerton in the future?

It looks like Phoebe Dynevor probably won’t be in Season 4, but her openness to coming back gives fans hope for later seasons. Eloise’s story, To Sir Phillip, With Love, could be a great chance for Daphne to return.

On Reddit, fans have talked about how interesting it would be to see Daphne help Eloise with her love life, showing how their views on life are different but still meaningful.

Also, the showrunner, Jess Brownell, has said she wants to stay true to the books while also exploring new ways to tell the story.

As she told Refinery29 in April 2024, she’s focused on finding that balance:

“I really believe in the vision of the show, but I’m not trying to shake things up too much.”

This careful plan means that favorite characters like Daphne might come back for important events, such as the weddings of her siblings or big family moments.

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For fans who want to see Daphne’s story again, all seasons of Bridgerton are on Netflix, and Season 4 is set to come out in 2026.