Jonathan Bailey Confirmed for ‘Bridgerton’ Season 4

Dearest gentle reader, the Viscount Anthony Bridgerton is sticking around.

Bridgerton fans can expect Jonathan Bailey to return as the beloved eldest Bridgerton brother for season 4 of the series.

The 36-year-old actor confirmed in an interview with Good Morning America on Friday, Aug. 16 that he has “a couple of weeks etched out in his schedule” to film for the new season and that he “looks forward to reading the script.”

“We’re going to follow the stories,” Bailey said. “The thing about Bridgerton, which is so brilliant, is that there’s so many different ways you can fall in love as humans and that’s what this show will explore. Obviously being the older brother, I’m going to be there to support the youngsters as we go.”

A month after Bridgerton season 3 aired in June, Netflix announced on Instagram July 23 that Luke Thompson’s character, Benedict Bridgerton, would be the focus of the upcoming season. Bailey praised his costar and said Thompson, 36, is “going to be stunning” as the lead.

“Benedict’s full of wonder and joy,” Bailey continued. “He’s the beating heart of the family.”

According to a synopsis for the upcoming season, Netflix teased that “despite his elder and younger brothers both being happily married, Benedict is loath to settle down — until he meets a captivating Lady in Silver at his mother’s masquerade ball.”

Actress Yerin Ha has been cast as Benedict’s love interest, Sophie Beckett.

In season 3 — which focused on the friends-to-lovers story between Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) — Anthony and his beloved wife and Viscountess Kate (Simone Ashley) enjoyed their marital bliss and even announced they were expecting their first child.

Initial speculation around Anthony and Kate’s future on upcoming seasons of Bridgerton ramped up after the pair decided to travel to India together ahead of the birth of their child at the end of season three.

However, Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell assured fans in an interview with Teen Vogue in June that “the door is open” for the couple in season 4. “We love Jonny and Simone and we’ll have them back as much as we are able to,” Brownell said. “They give so much, even with just tiny little looks and gestures. They’re a magic pairing, absolutely.”

“I think, understandably, when any of our lead actors have given over their lives for their season, in future seasons, we want to be supportive of the fact that they do have other projects coming in,” she continued. “And to ask actors to come back just to be in the background is not really fair to them.”

Ashley, 29, also reassured fans that she and Bailey would be open to returning for Bridgerton season 4 in a June 15 press event at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival in Monaco.

“Both Johnny and I, we adore our characters, Kate and Anthony, so much and [love] their relationship and what they mean for the show,” Ashley said. “I think we’ll do all we can with our schedules to make it work so that we can [return], hopefully.”

All three seasons of Bridgerton are now streaming on Netflix.