Bridgerton Season 5: Confirmation, Book Story, Cast & Everything We Know

The following article contains spoilers for Bridgerton season 4, part 2.Just as the ton is always a-buzzing with who will marry next, so are Bridgerton fans, who are eager for news about season 5. With season 4, part 2 releasing in full in February 2026, the Bridgerton season 4 finale saw Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) and Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha) get their happily ever after.

Based on Julia Quinn's Bridgerton book series, each season of Netflix's Regency-era romance drama centers on the love story of a high-born Bridgerton sibling. The show has seen Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor), Anthony (Jonathan Bailey), Colin (Luke Newton), and now Benedict, find their true loves, naturally leading to questions of who will walk down the aisle next and how long the show will go on.

Netflix Has Renewed Bridgerton For Seasons 5 & 6

While the future of a Netflix series is often perilous, with the streamer famous for frequently canceling its own shows, dearest gentle viewers can breathe easy — their favorite Regency romance isn't going anywhere. In May 2025, the streaming service announced that Bridgerton had been greenlit for seasons 5 and 6.

This is welcome news, though it's hardly a shock. Based on the way it's following the book series, Bridgerton has eight built-in seasons, and it's one of Netflix's biggest IPs. In all likelihood, the streaming platform will also sign off on seasons 7 and 8 when the time is right, and every Bridgerton sibling can have their love story.

Which Book Is Bridgerton Season 5 Adapting?

Given the lack of surprise around Bridgerton season 5's confirmation, this is the real question. For Bridgerton's first two seasons, the Netflix series has been following the book order, with season 1 adapting Daphne's story (The Duke and I) and season 2, Anthony's (The Viscount Who Loved Me).

However, the Shondaland show switched things up for seasons 3 and 4. Benedict's book (An Offer from a Gentleman) was third in Julia Quinn's series, but the creators wanted to capitalize on the intense friends-to-lovers tension brewing between Colin and Penelope, so they adapted his story (Romancing Mr. Bridgerton) third, followed by Benedict's for season 4.

If Bridgerton returns to adapting the books in order, then Eloise's (Claudia Jessie) story (To Sir Phillip, With Love) would be the source material for season 5. In the novel, Eloise falls for Sir Phillip Crane, the widower of Marina Thompson. Though Sir Phillip (Chris Fulton) has been introduced in Bridgerton, Eloise has yet to meet him, and Marina (Ruby Barker) is still alive, so season 5 would have its work cut out for itself in terms of set-up. However, season 4 saw Eloise's negative opinion on marriage begin to shift, so anything is possible.

If the shocking turn of events in Bridgerton season 4, part 2 are any indication, Francesca (Hannah Dodd) is the likely protagonist of Bridgerton season 5. Season 4 sees Francesca happily married to John Stirling (Victor Alli), though things take a turn for the tragic when John unexpectedly dies, leaving Francesca a young widow.

She leans on John's sister, Michaela (Masali Baduza), though when they share a moment that suggests romantic attraction, Michaela leaves without saying goodbye. Readers know that Bridgerton switched the character's gender, as he was Michael Stirling in the books, and is indeed Francesca's love interest in her novel, When He Was Wicked, which is sixth in the series.

Though the order the show will give us Eloise and Francesca's stories is unknown, we do know that they'll be the protagonists of the confirmed Bridgerton seasons 5 and 6. At the premiere for Bridgerton season 4, showrunner Jess Brownell was seen sporting two pocket squares with the initials "E" and "F".

"Both characters with the initials on my pocket squares will get seasons in five in six," Brownell told Deadline. "In what order? I can’t say." So, unless a real-life Lady Whistledown can get to the bottom of the mystery sooner, we'll just have to wait to find out.

Bridgerton Season 5 Cast Details

With Eloise and Francesca cheekily confirmed as the respective protagonists in Bridgerton seasons 5 and 6, Claudia Jessie and Hannah Dodd are essentially guaranteed to return. The rest of the siblings in the Bridgerton cast should also be present (with the exception of Daphne, as Phoebe Dynevor has left the show), along with their spouses, and matriarch Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell).

Though she retired from the Queen's court in season 4, Jess Brownell assured viewers that Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) was still part of the Bridgerton world and not going anywhere in season 5. Meanwhile, Alice Mondrich (Emma Naomi) has made a name for herself as the Queen's new lady-in-waiting, so she and her husband, Will (Martins Imhangbe), should be back as well.

The series also wouldn't be the same without Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel), Brimsley (Hugh Sachs), Portia Featherington (Polly Walker), Mrs. Varley (Lorraine Ashbourne), and the voice of Lady Whistledown (Julie Andrews). It's currently up in the air whether Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis) will be gracing season 5 with his presence, given that he and Violet broke up in the season 4 finale.

The only Bridgerton season cast member not expected to return is Victor Alli as the deceased John Stirling, unless he were to appear in flashbacks or dream sequences. Depending on whether Bridgerton season 5 centers on Eloise or Francesca, we should expect to see Chris Fulton as Phillip Crane or Masali Baduza as Michaela Stirling — or both.

Will Bridgerton Season 5 Release In 2027?

Though no Bridgerton season 5 release date has been announced, we can speculate on when it will drop based on what we know about the show's filming schedule in relation to its season premieres. What's On Netflix has confirmed that Bridgerton season 5 is set to start filming in March 2026 in the UK, so this is our first clue.

The publication reported that it typically takes eight months to film a Bridgerton season. If production for season 5 gets started on time, this would see it wrapping around November 2026. From there, post-production can also take several months to complete, so the earliest likely release window for Bridgerton season 5 would be Spring 2027, though it's very possible it could be even later than that. But based on what we know about the new season, it'll be worth the wait.