Shonda Rhimes succeeded once again at making one of her shows an avid success. Setting aside the legal courts and E.R.s, she stamped her first original project for Netflix with a seal of the Regency period in a more inclusive manner. Bridgerton follows the romantic entanglements of each sibling in the Bridgerton family as they try to find a suitor amidst the ballrooms and Lady Whistledown’s pamphlets. The first season focused on Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor), the eldest daughter, as she searches for an ideal match and finds it in the arms of the Duke of Hastings (Rége-Jean Page). All though it is safe to say that viewers have “burned” for these two, it is time to say farewell to this beloved couple and welcome Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) into the spotlight.

Here is everything we know so far about the plot, new additions to the cast, Daphne’s role in the series from now on, and release date details for Bridgerton Season 2.

RELATED: 'Bridgerton' Season 2 Wraps With New Set Image From "Lady Whistledown"

When is Bridgerton Season 2 Coming Out?

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Image via Netflix

On Christmas Day of 2021, to mark the anniversary of the first season being released, we finally got a confirmed date. Season 2 of Bridgerton will be released on March 25, 2022, on Netflix. The series started filming in the spring of this year, stopped due to a Covid-19 outbreak in July, went back to filming in August, and wrapped up on October 29 according to Nicola Coughlan (who plays Penelope Featherington, the secret identity behind Lady Whistledown) in an interview with RadioTimes. The actress also tweeted the following on her last day on set: “I can’t wait to share this season of Bridgerton with you, it’s been a complete joy. I’m so proud and so excited for you all to see it. See you in 2022/1814. Yours Truly, Lady Whistledown.”

Is There a Bridgerton Season 2 Trailer Available?

There isn’t an official trailer for Season 2, but Netflix has gifted fans with a sneak peek into an encounter between Anthony and his new love interest Kate Sharma (Sex Education’s Simone Ashley) during the TUDUM event on September 25. The clip, which you can watch in the player above, shows Anthony walking in on Kate eavesdropping on his conversation about finding a wife and she rebukes him for his attitude in a mic-dropping manner. If this scene is a hint to what we will expect from these two’s dynamic on-screen, there will surely be some epic moments awaiting us.

Keep an eye on this page for future reference. We will update it once the official trailer comes out.

Who Are the New Characters and Cast Members Joining Bridgerton Season 2?

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Image via Netflix

In the first season, we were introduced to the Bridgerton family and to the leading couple Daphne and Simon. Although we did get to see Anthony live out an impossible love affair with an opera singer named Sienna Rosso (Sabrina Bartlett), he is yet to meet his soulmate, the feisty Kate Sheffield. As previously mentioned, Simone Ashley will take on the new leading lady role this season. Alongside her triumphant entrance into the show, she will be accompanied by two other actresses: Charithra Chandran (playing Kate’s sister Edwina) and Shelley Conn (as their mother Mary). Both Charithra and Simone participated in the TUDUM panel alongside Jonathan Bailey and Nicola Coughlan, sharing their perspectives as the new additions to the already cherished cast.

Also joining Season 2 is Calam Lynch (Dunkirk) as an outspoken and hardworking printer’s assistant and Rupert Young (Doc Martin) as Jack, the latest member of the ton. Other than this slight piece of info, we still have to uncover the details about how they will fit into the Regency era.

What Do We Know About the Plot of Bridgerton Season 2?

Nicola Coughlan and Claudia Jessie in Bridgerton
Image via Netflix

As mentioned before, this season will focus on Anthony as the eldest of the Bridgerton siblings in his journey to find an ideal suitor. Although in Season 1 we saw Anthony refuse to marry and use his very adamant checklist of traits for Daphne’s husband, he will eventually have a change of heart once he meets Kate Sharma, a strong-willed woman who is also looking for reciprocated true love. We also know that there will be a lot of interactions within the Sharma household and get to understand some of the personal trials that they face. Given that the Netflix series is based on the Julia Quinn book series, there could be many similarities between the second novel (entitled The Viscount Who Loved Me) and Season 2.

Since it has only been revealed to the viewers that Lady Whistledown is Penelope Featherington, we can anticipate that Eloise (Claudia Jesse) is still invested in figuring out the identity behind the gossiper of the town. In recent pictures that Netflix shared on its social media handles, it seems like Eloise is ready to also enter society. We know it isn’t her chance to shine just yet, but could this be a way for her to investigate Lady Whistledown more closely?

As mentioned, Regé-Jean Page will not be returning to the show as Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings. Here's what Shonda Rhimes said about the reaction to this news:

“I was really shocked, because usually that happens when I’ve killed off somebody that’s been around for a while. Like, we didn’t kill him, he’s still alive! [Regé-Jean] is a powerful, amazing actor and that meant we did our job—every season, our job is finding the right people and putting together this incredible, world-shifting romance. I don’t know that I expected this much of an explosion, given that every book [in the Bridgerton series] is a different romance. What would be the ever-after of this combo? I mean, really: What would Regé-Jean do, you know what I mean? We gave them their happily ever after! And now we have this next couple coming. And so yeah, I was like, whoa!”

What is Daphne’s Future in the Show Without Simon?

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Image via Netflix

We all know by now that Regé-Jean Page won’t return to Bridgerton, following his success in portraying the Duke of Hastings. Yet, does this mean that we won’t get to see Daphne too? Fortunately, Phoebe Dynevor will be involved in this next season, occupying a supporting role in family gatherings and probably exchanging some moments alongside her older brother. According to Simone Ashley, Phoebe Dynevor has been a support system for her on set, especially after a stressful day she had.

Ashley shared the following in an interview for People: “There was one week I was feeling quite stressed out about certain things and she took me to a reformer Pilates class and that was really nice. And we just had some girl time.”

Will Bridgerton be Renewed for More Seasons After Season 2?

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Image via Netflix

Not only is the news that Season 2 is right around the corner bringing music to fans’ ears, but Netflix has already renewed the series for Season 3 and 4 before the cast had finished shooting Season 2. If it were to depend on Shonda Rhimes, the show could extend up to 8 seasons, each corresponding to the storyline of a Bridgerton sibling.

This is what the showrunner said to Variety in an interview for Variety’s Women of the Year Cover Story: “There are eight Bridgerton siblings, and as far as I’m concerned, there are eight ‘Bridgerton’ seasons. And maybe more.”