“Bridgerton” Season 4 Cast: All About the New (and Returning) Stars Joining the Series — And Where You've Seen Them Before!

'Bridgerton' season 4 will see Luke Thompson in the main role with a slew of new characters joining the cast

Bridgerton is back for its fourth iteration with a new lead at its center: Benedict, played by Luke Thompson.

Benedict was announced as the next Bridgerton in line for love in July 2024, a month after the second part of season 3 was released. Since then, the Netflix show creators have announced a stacked cast list that features some returning favorites like Jonathan Bailey and Nicola Coughlan, as well as new faces, including Yerin Ha and Katie Leung.

Some fan favorites were noticeably missing from the cast list, including Simone Ashley, who played Anthony Bridgerton's love interest, Kate Sharma, after previously stating she and Bailey would "do all we can" to return to Anthony and Kate's story. Other characters not returning include Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen), Prudence Featherington (Bessie Carter), Harry Dankworth (James Phoon) and Philippa Featherington (Harriet Cains).

Joining the cast are Ha, who will play Sophie, Benedict's love interest, and three more characters: Lady Araminta Gun, Rosamund Li and Posy Li.

Here's everything to know about the cast and characters of Bridgerton season 4.

Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton

Thompson is taking on the mantle of the leading man this season, reprising his part as the second-eldest Bridgerton son.

Before his new role was announced, Thompson shared on The View that he was looking forward to becoming the next Bridgerton hunk whenever his time came.

"I know that it's so lovely [and] that one of the best things about a TV job is you get to really explore a character long-form like that and fill him in slowly,” he added. “So as long as I keep getting to do that.”

In September 2024, Thompson teased the new season, telling Tudum that it explores "the struggle between a proper old-school fairy tale — the romance of it — and the actual reality of the world."

“I get really excited by how many unexpected twists you’ll get in season 4," Thompson said.

Yerin Ha as Sophie Baek

Ha was introduced as Sophie Baek in August 2024, taking on the leading woman role opposite Thompson.

Sophie is a maid who meets Benedict while masked, literally and figuratively hiding who she truly is.

“What drew me to Sophie was that she immediately has obstacles — something that she constantly has to overcome,” Ha told Tudum. “Whether it’s this battle around social status or trying to hide her feelings from Benedict.”

One difference from the original character in the book, An Offer from a Gentleman, is Sophie's change of last name from Beckett to Baek, honoring Ya's Korean heritage.

"To make Sophie's name fit someone who looks like me is really empowering," Ha said of the swap. "It's a really nice way for me to feel like the role is fit for me, rather than me having to fit a certain mold."

Katie Leung as Lady Araminta Gun

In September 2024, Netflix announced three new actors that will join the cast, most notably Harry Potter alum Katie Leung. Known for playing Cho Chang in the famous series, Leung will play Lady Araminta Gun.

Netflix describes the character as "fabulous, discerning and blunt," a woman who is desperately trying to marry at least one of her two daughters off in the marriage mart this year.

Leung has worked in a number of TV roles since her last appearance as Cho in 2011's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

Michelle Mao as Rosamund Li

As the elder of Lady Gun's daughters, Rosamund Li is described as "beautiful, vain and eager to please her mother." Michelle Mao will helm the role and will have her eyes set on Benedict this season.

Mao has previously worked on episodes of 2023's Goosebumps and Surfside Girls. After the announcement that she was joining the cast, Mao posted the news on her Instagram, writing, "We’re going to the masquerade! 🥹," in the caption.

Isabella Wei as Posy Li

The last of the new cast, Isabella Wei joins Bridgerton as Posy Li, the younger of Lady Gun's daughters. Per her description, Posy is the kinder of the sisters, and overly chatty — often putting her foot in her mouth and oversharing.

Wei has previously starred in Netflix's 2022 TV series 1899 and in 2024's The Crow. She is also a dancer, often posting clips of herself performing on Instagram.

Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Bridgerton

After leading the previous season, Coughlan is taking a step back but still reprising her role as Penelope Bridgerton, a name the character gained last season after marrying the third-eldest Bridgerton son, Colin.

Ahead of the cast announcement, Coughlan told The Hollywood Reporter that she would be excited to see how her and Colin's romance continues to bloom in season 4.

“We’re quite excited at the prospect of them just like being happy idiots,” she told the outlet in June 2024. “Some of my favorite stuff is the two of them. They both love a little gossip and a little b----. So I really just want them in the corner like, ‘Oh, my gosh!’ ”

Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton

Similar to Coughlan, Newton was also eager to find out what would happen to his character, Colin, in season 4, but joked that he had stopped guessing.

"Before starting season 3, before reading the scripts, we never could have predicted how the story was gonna go," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "So, now I’m kind of relaxed in the thought that there’s no point even trying to speculate, even from a cast point of view. We can’t ever predict it."

He added that he feels similarly to Coughlan, and is looking forward to sweet moments for his character.

"Like the Kate and Anthony stuff when they’re in wedding bliss, and it’s just joy," the actor said. "They’re just in bed cuddling. Just nice, sweet moments."

Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton

Bailey has quite the busy year ahead of him with the November premiere of Wicked, in which he plays Fiyero and his debut in Netlix's Heartstopper.

However, the actor will still return to play Anthony Bridgerton, the eldest brother, in season 4 of the show. Notably, though, his on-screen wife, Kate Sharma, won't be in the show anymore as Ashley is not reprising her role.

Hannah Dodd as Francesca Stirling

Breaking tradition, Francesca's marriage and courtship with John Stirling was explored in season 3 of Bridgerton, teasing that more is to come in the third Bridgerton sister's love life.

Hannah Dodd will return in the role, continuing to play Francesca after taking over for Ruby Stokes in season 3.

Victor Alli as John Stirling

Victor Alli will reprise his role as John Stirling, Francesca's quiet and demure husband. If the show sticks to the books, this may be one of the last times viewers see John, as Francesca's love story is far from over.

Alli has also starred in 2021's Belfast and a 2024 episode of Gangs of London.

Masali Baduza as Michaela Stirling

In a twist season 3 finale, John introduces Francesca to his cousin, Michaela Stirling, a gender swap from the original series. In the books, John dies and Francesca is comforted by and falls in love with his cousin, Michael.

Masali Baduza will return in her role as Michaela, leaving fans curious to see how John, Michaela and Francesca's plot line grows throughout the season.

Adjoa Andoh as Lady Danbury

Everyone's favorite gossip, Adjoa Andoh will return to Lady Danbury, the town's societal matron and unofficial matchmaker. In season 3, Danbury had to accept her brother back into her life as he wooed her best friend, Violet Bridgerton.

For the upcoming season, Andoh told Business Insider that she hopes her character finds a love story of her own.

"Here's someone who feels like they've got their life set in a certain way," Andoh said. "What happens if you put another personality into that? What happens if she suddenly is thinking about how she might accommodate another personality into that?"

"It's something that dynamic, self-contained women are challenged with all the time," she continued. "So I think it would be interesting to see. Anyway, that's above my pay grade."

Daniel Francis as Lord Marcus Anderson

Daniel Francis was introduced as Lord Marcus Anderson in season 3, Lady Danbury's estranged younger brother. He quickly took an interest in Violet Bridgerton, who reciprocated.

The two went back and forth all season as Violet came to terms with her feelings and waited on her best friend's blessing. Now, who knows where their love will take them?

Ruth Gemmell as Violet Bridgerton

The Bridgerton matriarch, Ruth Gemmell has played the role of Violet Bridgerton since the inception of the show. Her storyline has gone through multiple seasons as she grappled with the death of her husband and her newfound interest in Lord Anderson.

With her second eldest child finally interested in marriage and her younger daughters reentering the marriage mart, Violet has a handful to deal with in season 4.

Gemmell also starred in Netflix's Queen Charlotte, a prequel series about the queen's origin story.

Martins Imhangbe as Will Mondrich

Martins Imhangbe will reprise his role as Will Mondrich, the boxer turned member of the ton. In season 3, Will struggled to reconcile his newfound wealth with who he is at his core.

Imhangbe previously starred in The Tragedy of King Richard the Second, and has been part of the main cast of Bridgerton since season 1.

Emma Naomi as Alice Mondrich

Will's faithful wife, Alice Mondrich, played by Emma Naomi, is back for season 4. Naomi has also starred in 2023's Surprised by Oxford and as Lisa Donckers in Professor T, a Belgian TV show.

In June 2024, Naomi told Country & Town House that she was proud of how far her character had come in three seasons and what she hopes for her future.

"I think Alice might be good at giving advice about marriage or on the experience of being a young mother," she said. "The Mondrichs have a lot to offer in that department. They are stable, have been through hard times and come out the other side."

Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte

Everyone's favorite queen, Golda Rosheuvel will return as Queen Charlotte in season 4 of Bridgerton. Now that the ton knows that Penelope is Lady Whistledown, the queen is no longer on the hunt — and even allows her to continue writing.

So will the two gossip-lovers work together at any point?

"Nicola and I have always had this conversation from day one (that), wouldn't it be lovely for the queen to summon, and Whistledown and the Queen have tea together and come up with some kind of plot to destroy the Ton or whatever, or become allies," Rosheuvel told USA Today in June 2024.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.