When Regé-Jean Page first captivated audiences as the irresistible Duke of Hastings in Bridgerton, fans couldn’t get enough of his undeniable chemistry with Phoebe Dynevor’s Daphne Bridgerton. However, after his meteoric rise to fame, Page shocked everyone by announcing he wouldn’t return for a second season. Since then, speculation has swirled—would the Duke ever return to the Regency world? The answer, according to Page, is a firm no.
Here’s why his decision stands, and why it’s the right one for both him and Bridgerton.
When Regé-Jean Page first signed on for Bridgerton, he was clear from the start that his role as Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, would be a one-season arc. In a 2021 interview with Variety, Page explained that his character’s journey was always designed with a beginning, middle, and end—a story that wouldn’t need further expansion.
“It’s going to have a beginning, middle, and end—give us a year,” Page recalled, discussing his initial conversations with the Bridgerton team.
For Page, it was a chance to contribute to the Bridgerton story and leave a lasting impact without dragging out a narrative that was always meant to conclude. As Page himself said, his involvement was a one-off, and the idea of Simon's story continuing without a clear purpose didn't resonate with him.
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