Here's Why ‘Bridgerton’ Star Rege-Jean Page Isn’t Coming Back for Season 2

From The Pioneer Woman

Bridgerton fans were recently heartbroken to find out that Rege-Jean Page will not be coming back for season 2 of Netflix's hit period drama. Just one look at the handsome breakout star and it's easy to see why they're upset. 😍😍😍 But we digress.

"Lady Whistledown" herself broke the sad news in a letter posted the other day on the show's social media pages. "While all eyes turn to Lord Anthony Bridgerton's quest to find a Viscountess, we bid adieu to Regé-Jean Page, who so triumphantly played the Duke of Hastings," the note said. "We'll miss Simon's presence onscreen, but he will always be a part of the Bridgerton family."

After the sad news broke, Rege-Jean took to his Instagram to share a photo of himself in all of his Bridgerton glory.

"The ride of a life time," he captioned. "It's been an absolute pleasure and a privilege to be your Duke. Joining this family—not just on screen, but off screen too. Our incredibly creative and generous cast, crew, outstanding fans—it's all been beyond anything I could have imagined. The love is real and will just keep growing."

Honestly, as excited as we are for Bridgerton season 2, we're still reeling from the news about Rege-Jean, and need to know once and for all:

Why isn't Rege-Jean Page returning to "Bridgerton"?

In an interview with Variety, Rege-Jean explained that his short time on the series was part of the plan all along.

"It's a one-season arc. It's going to have a beginning, middle, end—give us a year," he said. "[I thought] 'That's interesting,' because then it felt like a limited series. I get to come in, I get to contribute my bit and then the Bridgerton family rolls on."

This actually makes a lot of sense, considering we know that season 1 was based on the first book in Julia Quinn's Bridgerton book series, The Duke and I, which was all about Daphne and Simon's romance. The second season will be an adaptation of the author's second novel, The Viscount Who Loved Me, which is focused on Daphne's older brother, Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey), and his quest to find a bride.

While fans of Bridgerton the book series might have seen this coming, fans of the show were understandably not as prepared to say goodbye to Simon.

So, what will happen to his character?

Luckily, the Duke has already found his happy ending—the one we all saw at the end of season one! His story wrapped up exactly where we left off, with Simon and Daphne solidifying their romance and welcoming their first child, Rege-Jean confirmed to Variety.

"One of the things that is different about this [romance] genre is that the audience knows the arc completes," he explained. "They come in knowing that, so you can tie people in emotional knots because they have that reassurance that we're going to come out and we're going to have the marriage and the baby."

"I have nothing but excitement for Bridgerton continuing to steam train off and conquer the globe," he added. "But there is also value in completing these arcs and sticking the landing."

To his point, was there ever really any doubt that Daphne and the Duke were meant to be? Not for one second!

What does this mean for Daphne?

Here's some good news. It's been confirmed that Phoebe Dynevor, the actress who plays Daphne, will return for season 2. But based on what we know about the book series, it seems like her role will be much smaller this time around.

As for Daphne and the Duke's romance, Variety confirmed that even though he won't appear in season 2, Simon will live on in the Bridgerton world as Daphne’s husband. So on one hand, it seems like we can rest assured that Daphne has already found her forever love match in the dashing duke. On the other hand, if you ask Phoebe, anything is possible.

She told Harper's Bazaar in a recent interview, "I think, obviously, if we're sticking to the books, it's sort of Anthony's turn now. But there's no such thing as a happy ending, is there? I think love's always shifting and changing. So who knows? I'd like to see what happens next. And also, I'd like to see Daphne get involved in Anthony's love life, since he was so involved in hers."

Interesting! It's hard to imagine Daphne finding love with anyone other than the Duke, but Bridgerton is always full of surprises.

So, how are you coping with Rege-Jean's exit from the show? Are you still excited about season 2? Share your thoughts in the comments!