Although the filming is set to start this year, the second season won't be available anytime soon. Similar to another historical Netflix drama, The Crown, Bridgerton also has a long filming schedule. We will likely have to wait until 2022 for the second season to drop.

The show is pretty much staying true to Julia Quinn's bestselling novels so we can expect the second season to focus on Anthony Bridgerton and his pursuit of a suitable marriage. The first season left him rather pessimistic about love after breaking up with opera singer, Sienna, so it'll be interesting to find out how Kate, his new love interest, will sweep the Viscount off his feet.

In December, Van Dusan told The Wrap that he'd love to "explore the stories and romances for every Bridgerton sibling." And on Today With Hoda & Jenna, he also said that he's "looking forward to jumping in and see how [Anthony] fares in the marriage market" after the first season left him "at a bit of a crossroads."

A new member of the ton is here. Simone Ashley who you may recognise as Olivia Hanan from Netflix's Sex Education has been tapped to play Anthony's romantic interest, Kate Sharma, who is newly arrived in London. She's described as smart, headstrong and a young woman who suffers no fools.

Ashley's casting also continues the series breaking conventions on race as the original Kate in the books, named Kate Sheffield, is not of Indian descent. Instead, Bridgerton's production team decided to race bend Kate and continue its reimagined, multi-racial world of the Regency era following major Black characters in the first season including the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page).

The second season will also welcome new faces. Charithra Chandran will be playing Edwina Sharma's Kate's younger sister. Edwina has been taught by Kate to be the perfect debutante. She's described as "kind-natured and endlessly endearing" and in search of a true love match. Shelly Conn will portray Mary Sharma, the Sharma sibling's mother. Her marriage was wrapped in a scandal and was forced to live with the scrutiny of the ton.

Additional cast members include Calam Lynch as Theo Sharpe, a printer's assistant described as hard-working and a righteous man who fights for the rights of all. Ruper Young will take on the role of Jack, a new member of the ton, coming from a notable family.

Showrunners have confirmed that Regé-Jean Page, who played the Duke of Hastings, is exiting the show, leaving many of the show's fans feeling disappointed. Page himself also posted a photo on his Instagram and said that "it's been an absolute pleasure and a privilege to be your Duke". While readers of the original novel might have expected Page's exit, many were hopeful that he would still make an appearance, even if a cameo.

Sources told The Hollywood Reporter that Page "declined for a multitude of reasons", one of which is to focus on his thriving career after the Regency-era hit pushed him to superstar status. Page recently landed a role in the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons movie and is currently working on a Netflix action-thriller movie opposite Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans. 

It was also reported that showrunners asked Page to guest star in 3–5 episodes of the second season for US$50,000 each. But Page declined the offer likely due to his minor role and busy filming schedule.

This article was originally published on 17 February 2021 and was updated on 7 April 2021.