Actor Regé-Jean Page, who burned up the screen in Netflix’s widely watched romance drama Bridgerton, will not be returning in the second season.

This may come as a shock to viewers who haven’t looked into the origins of the series or read anything about its upcoming plans, but book readers have known about this from the beginning. Bridgerton will essentially take an anthology approach, with each planned season covering the events of one of author Julia Quinn’s novels, which focus on a different member of the titular family. Confirmation about Page not being a part of Bridgerton season 2 came from the show’s official Instagram account.

“One of the things that is different about this [romance] genre is that the audience knows the arc completes,” Page, who had only signed on for a one-season arc, told Variety. “They come in knowing that, so you can tie people in emotional knots because they have that reassurance that we’re going to come out and we’re going to have the marriage and the baby.”

During his initial discussions with producer Shonda Rhimes about the role, he found it interesting that he could come in, contribute his part, “and then the Bridgerton family rolls on,” he said, saying that the idea of his one-season appearance “felt like a limited series.”

“I have nothing but excitement for Bridgerton continuing to steam train off and conquer the globe,” he went on. “But there is also value in completing these arcs and sticking the landing.” In an Instagram post, the actor called his experience on the show “beyond anything I could have imagined.”

Bridgerton season 2 will focus on the events of the second book in Quinn’s series, “The Viscount Who Loved Me,” and follow the oldest Bridgerton child, Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) as he embarks upon his own journey for love. The Daphne character (portrayed by Phoebe Dynevor) will be back for season 2 after marrying Page’s character, the Duke of Hastings, but the Duke will not appear in season. There’s a chance he could pop back up again in future seasons, though, as the lives of these familial characters intersect and cross over.

Page will soon be seen in a new Dungeons and Dragons movie, and Netflix subscribers will see him on that service again when he appears in the Russo Brothers’ spy thriller The Gray Man along with Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, and more.

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