Bridgerton's Sophie Casting: A Clue That Season 4 Isn't Benedict's Turn?

Summary

• Netflix is looking for a new actress to play the role of 'Emily'.
• The description of the role suggests that it is Sophie Beckett.
• However, it is a recurring role, so next season may not be Ben and Sophie's time.

While many of us may still be reeling from the disappointments of Season 3 (this is not to cast a shadow over the excellent Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton, as the problem lies with the writing and editing), fan interest in Bridgerton shows no signs of waning, and in fact is only growing as we approach the start of production on Season 4. Unfortunately, the next adaptation of one of Julia Quinn's novels will be a long time coming. However, interesting details about what we can expect are starting to emerge here and there.

With filming set to begin in the next few months, Netflix is looking for a new cast member. The requirements for a potential actor suggest that it could be the role of Sophie Beckett, the future wife of Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson). However, there are some hints that Ben's storyline might be pushed back to Season 5.

Netflix Casts New Recurring Character

Netflix is looking for an East Asian actress between the ages of 24 and 30 to play a character named Emily. According to the role description, Emily is bold and resourceful, but has some trust issues. In addition, the character will be involved in scenes of an intimate nature, which could indicate a future love interest for one of the Bridgertons.

Julia Quinn, of course, does not have characters of that name involved in main storylines. So it's clearly a code name to avoid spoilers.

Could This Be Benedict's Love Interest?

The codename of the show itself is Vauxhall, referring to Vauxhall Gardens, where the masquerade balls were held. In Season 3, Eloise hinted that a masquerade ball would be held a year from now, and according to the book An Offer from a Gentleman, Benedict would meet the 'Lady in Silver', who turned out to be Sophie Beckett, exactly there.

The description of the role is also quite similar to the prototype in the book. Sophie's story is essentially a retelling of Cinderella: an illegitimate child, she grew up neglected by her father and hated by her stepmother — hence the trust issues. She was also never part of high society, growing up among servants and therefore unaccustomed to the idle life of the London ton.

Another clue that Emily is Sophie could be the fact that an East Asian actress is being sought. With the exception of Colin and Penelope, all the other Bridgertons so far have married people of color, but there have been no East Asian characters in the family yet.

Ben May Have to Wait a Bit, Though

Of course, there's no denying that it might not be Sophie at all. For one thing, Ben has embraced his bisexuality, and given that Francesca's future love interest, Michelle, is a gender-bending version of Michael from the books, it's not necessarily the case that Benedict will find love with a woman either.

However, if it is indeed Sophie, perhaps next season will focus on another love story first. The thing is, the role is labeled 'recurring' and not 'main,' as was the case with the Bridgertons' other partners. This may indicate that while Benedict may meet his future wife in Season 4, they will not get together until Season 5 (hopefully not later). This is actually quite consistent with the narrative of An Offer from a Gentleman, since Ben will not know the identity of the 'Lady in Silver' for a long time and will not meet the real Sophie until much later.

Filming is scheduled to begin in September 2024 and run through April 2025. Bridgerton Season 4 is expected to be released in 2026.