‘Bridgerton’ Author Speaks Out on Fan ‘Disappointment’ Over Gender-Flipping Francesca’s Love Interest: ‘Grant Me and the Team Some Faith as We Move Forward’ (2024)

Bridgerton” author Julia Quinn has taken to social media to address upset fans of the Netflix series following the Season 3 finale, which included a dramatic change from Quinn’s novels in gender-flipping Francesca Bridgerton’s love interest. While Season 3 was primarily devoted to the blossoming romance between friends Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan), it also tracked the courtship of Francesca (Hannah Dodd) by John Stirling, Earl of Kilmartin (Victor Alli).

In the “Bridgerton” Season 3 finale, Francesca and John get married and spend their final days with her family before relocating to Scotland. Fans of the “Bridgerton” novels know that in Francesca’s book, “When He Was Wicked,” their marriage is disrupted when Francesca meets John’s charming cousin, Michael Stirling. Book readers got a shock then when the Netflix series introduced John’s cousin on screen as Michaela Stirling (Masali Baduza), gender-flipping the character and presumably changing Francesca’s sexuality.

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Quinn acknowledged on social media that some fans have expressed “disappointment” in the decision to change Michael to Michaela. When the latter version of the character debuts at the end of “Bridgerton” Season 3, Francesca is clearly full of butterflies.

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“Anyone who has seen an interview with me from the past four years knows that I am deeply committed to the ‘Bridgerton’ world becoming more diverse and inclusive as the stories move from book to screen,” Quinn wrote in a statement. “But switching the gender of a major character is a huge change, and so when Jess Brownell first approached me with the idea of turning Michael into Michaela for the show, I needed more information before conferring my agreement.”

“I trust Shondaland’s vision for ‘Bridgerton,’ but I wanted to be sure that we could remain true to the spirit of the book and of the characters,” Quinn added. “Jess and I talked for a long time about it. More than once. I made it clear that it was extremely important to me that Francesca’s abiding love for John be shown on screen. When I wrote ‘When He Was Wicked,’ I actually had to fight to have the first four chapters, which establish that love, included. My publisher was worried that writing about Fran’s love for John would take away from Michael’s role as the eventual romance novel hero.”

Quinn said that she is “confident” after her discussions with Brownell that “when Francesca has her ‘Bridgerton’ season it will be the most emotional and heart-wrenching story of the show,” even with a gender-flipped character.

“Thank you to readers and fans for your feedback,” the author added. “I am grateful for your understanding and touched by your deep commitment to the characters of the ‘Bridgerton’ world. I ask that you grant me and the Shondaland team some faith as we move forward. I think we are going to end up with two stories, one on page and one on screen, and they will both be beautiful and moving.”

In an interview with Variety following the Season 3 finale, Brownell noted that she had a lot she couldn’t say about gender-flipping Michael to Michaela.

“I’m cautious about talking about it in detail now, because I want people to see how it’s going to play out,” the showrunner said. “And I’m not trying to be withholding, it’s just difficult to talk about the thought and the research that went into it without talking about what’s to come. And I’m just trying to be protective of what story we want to tell for Season 4 and beyond.”

However, Brownell did stress that “Bridgerton” is “a show about happily-ever-afters” and thus she’s not interested in telling a story about “queer trauma” with Francesca.

“We really want to see queer joy. And if we’re going to tell a queer story, we would like to find a way for there to be a happily ever after,” Brownell said. “So we have done a lot of research to figure out how we can achieve that within the confines of our world. And after people see the next couple of seasons, I’ll be able to talk about that more.”

“Bridgerton” Season 3 is now available to stream in its entirety on Netflix.

‘Bridgerton’ Author Speaks Out on Fan ‘Disappointment’ Over Gender-Flipping Francesca’s Love Interest: ‘Grant Me and the Team Some Faith as We Move Forward’ (2024)

FAQs

Why did they replace Francesca on Bridgerton? ›

According to Bridgerton creator Chris Van Dusen, Francesca was meant to have a larger role in season 2, however, because of Stokes' prior commitments to Lockwood & Co., she had to leave the Bridgerton set after filming three episodes.

Who is Francesca's love interest in Bridgerton? ›

Michaela is set to become Francesca's love interest since in her book, “When He Was Wicked", after the death of her husband, Francesca goes on to marry Michael Sterling. This move to gender-swap the characters for a queer love story caused widespread reaction from fans.

Is Francesca Bridgerton pregnant? ›

However, tragedy strikes two years into Francesca and John's marriage. John dies in his sleep, and the newly widowed Francesca discovers that she is pregnant and then miscarries. She's left devastated, while earldom passes to Michael.

Why was Francesca in Bath? ›

She, like the rest of the Bridgerton family, is introduced in the series premiere, awaiting Daphne's debut. However, Francesca departs London for the countryside town of Bath for most of Season 1 to live with the siblings' Aunt Winnie. In the Season 1 finale, Francesca returns to Mayfair after her many months away.

Did Penelope lose weight? ›

Others have pointed out that in the book version — “Romancing Mister Bridgerton” — a “round” and “plump” Penelope only catches Colin's eye after she loses weight.

Why does Colin Bridgerton look different? ›

Showrunner Jess Brownell says the physical "transformation" is meant to reflect all that's passed for the character between seasons. "He has been traveling, and he comes back looking much more worldly, wearing darker clothes sourced from across the globe," Brownell says.

How many husbands does Francesca Bridgerton have? ›

Francesca Bridgerton's love story is explored in the sixth Bridgerton novel, When He Was Wicked. Unlike her siblings, Francesca actually gets married twice.

Is Lady Danbury the Duke of Hastings' grandmother? ›

Lady Danbury is like a mother figure to the Duke of Hastings, whose mother died shortly after giving birth to him—and the Lady and Duke's connection doesn't end there.

How old is Francesca Bridgerton in real life? ›

Francesca Bridgerton Age:

The next Bridgerton sibling is Francesca who makes her debut in society this season and she is 18 years old. Following Ruby Stokes departure from the series following season two, Francesca is now played by Hannah Dodds who is 29 years old.

Who is the F child in Bridgerton? ›

Fans had been wondering where one of the Bridgerton siblings was. They needn't worry, as it turns out that the Francesca actress has exciting news. The sixth Bridgerton child is played by Ruby Stokes.

Is Kate pregnant on Bridgerton season 3? ›

In "Bridgerton" season three, part two, Kate is pregnant with her first child, but we never see her give birth or the baby. But there's still hope — both actors want to see a Kanthony baby, too. Bailey told the Wrap in 2022: "And I just can't wait for him to have a baby.

Is Penelope pregnant in Bridgerton season 3? ›

In the final scene of Season 3, we learn Penelope and Colin have welcomed a beautiful baby boy. Because Prudence and Philippa both gave birth to daughters, Polin's baby will be the next Lord Featherington. After a season of near-catastrophes for the Featheringtons, all is saved.

Why did they replace Francesca in Bridgerton? ›

Actress Ruby Stokes left the show due to scheduling issues because she was starring in another series, a supernatural mystery thriller on Netflix called "Lockwood & Co." Unfortunately for Stokes, "Lockwood & Co." was canceled after its first season, but by the time it was canceled, they had already recast the role of ...

Why did they recast Daphne? ›

As per a report by Screenrant, Phoebe Dynevor's decision not to return to her role as Daphne in Bridgerton season 3 was a deliberate choice. In an interview with Variety, Dynevor revealed her rationale, expressing a sense of completion with Daphne's character arc.

Why does Francesca marry twice? ›

In addition to grappling with John's death, Francesca also mourns the loss of a child as she has a miscarriage following his untimely death. Four years after John's death, Michael returns to England. Around this same time, Francesca has decided that she wants to remarry so that she can have a child.

Why do we see so little of Francesca in Bridgerton? ›

The reason she may not be familiar to you is because in seasons 1 and 2 of the Netflix series, she was portrayed by Ruby Stokes. Stokes was only seen in two episodes of season 1, as Francesca spent most of the season away in Bath.

Did they replace Daphne in Bridgerton? ›

Francesca Is Taking Daphne's Role In Bridgerton Season 3

The Bridgerton season 3 trailer teased Francesca's presentation to the queen, highlighting how flawlessly her debut was, following in her sister's steps and confirming Francesca as Daphne's replacement.

How old is Francesca in Bridgerton season 3? ›

Right after Eloise is her younger sister Francesca, who is newly 18 and making her debut in society in season three.

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