Meet the Exciting New Characters Shaking Up Season 3 of Bridgerton on Netflix!

The third season of Bridgerton Chronicles is just around the corner, with the first part premiering on Netflix on Thursday, May 16. As the previous seasons introduced a new character who a Bridgerton family member falls in love with, this season will focus on a long-awaited love story: Penelope Featherington and Colin Bridgerton.

Since the series began, Penelope (played by Nicola Coughlan) has had unrequited feelings for Colin (Luke Newton), the third Bridgerton boy. However, there’s a new twist: Penelope is Lady Whistledown, and only her ex-best friend, Eloise Bridgerton, knows this.

This season brings back most of the actors from the first two – minus Phoebe Dynevor, who played Daphne Bridgerton – and introduces several new faces.

Hannah Dodd as Francesca Bridgerton

It’s not a new character, but a new face! Hannah Dodd takes over the role of Francesca Bridgerton after the first actress, Ruby Stokes, left the series for another Netflix project, Lockwood & Co. She steps into the role in Season 3.

Francesca hasn’t been seen much in Seasons 1 and 2, often abroad studying piano, but Season 3 brings her to the forefront after Colin. It’s her first season on the marriage market, and although Francesca is hopeful about finding a husband, she’s shyer than her siblings.

Hannah Dodd has previously appeared in several Netflix projects, including Sarah Chapman in Enola Holmes 2 and young Sophie in Anatomy of a Scandal. She also had a minor role in The Eternals.

Sam Phillips as Lord Debling

Sam Phillips joins the roster of new characters in Season 3, playing Lord Debling, a potential suitor who approaches Penelope at the start of the season. Although he has unusual interests, according to his description by Netflix, “with wealth and a noble title to back up his eccentricities, he won’t fail to pique the interest of young women this season.”

Before Bridgerton, Sam Phillips appeared in several seasons of The Crown as the queen’s equerry. He has also acted in numerous London theater productions.

Daniel Francis as Marcus Anderson

Daniel Francis, one of the new characters introduced in Season 3, joins the series as Marcus Anderson. He’s described as “a charismatic presence who lights up every room he enters, attracting the attention of some town matriarchs – and the ire of others“.

Not much is known about his character yet, but all we can tell you for now is that he’ll have dealings with Lady Danbury and Violet Bridgerton. Daniel Francis previously appeared in Netflix’s Don’t Go Far and Apple TV+’s 2023 series Liaison.

Part 1 of Season 3 of Bridgerton Chronicles will be available on Netflix starting May 16.