When Could It Release & Who Will Be the Lead?

The long-awaited fourth season of Netflix’s fan-favorite drama Bridgerton is here, and we’re already thinking about what’s next. Which Bridgerton sibling will be the focus of season 5? All signs point towards one character. 

Every season, Netflix’s Bridgerton focuses on another sibling from the titular family, chronicling their relationships and exploring different themes. There are eight siblings, so that’s eight seasons. Season 1 followed Daphne and Simon’s love story; season 2 told the enemies-to-lovers saga between Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma; season 3 covered the dramatic relationship between Colin Bridgerton and Penelope Featherington.

The new season tells the Cinderella-inspired saga of Benedict (Luke Thompson) and Sophie (Yerin Ha).

There are still four more Bridgerton siblings for the show to cover: Eloise (Claudia Jessie), Francesca (Hannah Dodd), Gregory (Will Tilston), and Hyacinth (Florence Hunt). So far, the series has mostly followed the chronology of Julia Quinn’s novels, with the big difference being that Benedict’s novel, An Offer From a Gentleman (2001), came before Colin’s book Romancing Mr. Bridgerton (2002). If the Netflix series follows the progression of the original novels, Eloise’s story is up next. It’ll then be followed by Francesca’s in season 6. But the writers could decide to make cover Francesca’s entire arc first. Airing Francesca’s story before Eloise’s wouldn’t cause a major change to the overall plot, as books four, five, and six all take place around the same time. 

The fact that Eloise and Francesca’s stories will be covered next is almost a certainty. Netflix hasn’t made any announcements, but there’s hints everywhere you look. In fact, the most concrete detail same from the showrunner herself. Speaking to Deadline at the red carpet premiere, showrunner and EP Jess Brownell pointed to a pocket-square she was wearing that bore the initials E & F embroidered on it, saying: “I would say both characters with the initials on my pocket-square will get seasons in 5 and 6.” Brownell plays it coy in regard to which character’s story will come first. “In what order, I can’t say,” she added. 

The question is not who will lead, but who will lead first?

How does Bridgerton Season 4 end for Francesca and Eloise, and who will lead Season 5? 

The ending of Bridgerton season 4 leaves the stories of both Eloise and Francesca very much open-ended. The show doesn’t commit to a lead for season 5. During the post-credit wedding sequence between Benedict and Sophie, both Eloise and Francesca are sitting next to each other in the front row. When the Who’s next? The question is mentioned, and both of them declare themselves not ready for marriage.

Given the focus and progress on her story in season 4, it feels like Francesca will be the lead in season 5. However, let’s not forget that Eloise is the next lead in the chronological order of the Bridgerton novels.

What remains unclear is whether the fifth season will also follow the events of the fifth novel, To Sir Phillip, With Love, or the sixth novel, When He Was Wicked, which focuses on Francesca Bridgerton.

Francesca’s ending

Bridgerton. (L to R) Victor Alli as John Stirling, Hannah Dodd as Francesca Bridgerton in episode 306 of Bridgerton. Cr. Liam Daniel/Netflix © 2024

The season builds on Francesca’s character more than ever. After losing her husband, Lord John Stirling (Victor Alli), at such a young age, and then learning that she was not pregnant with his child, it’s a story of utmost heartbreak and melancholy. She finds comfort in her immediate family and in Michaela (Masali Baduza), John’s cousin, with whom she builds a budding friendship. In Season 4, Part 2, it very much balances Francesca’s story as the lead alongside Benedict. 

Of course, readers will know from Francesca’s novel that season 4 already covers a chunk of it, When He Was Wicked. It lays the groundwork. From the tragic loss of John to the arrival of Michaela (a gender-swapped version of the book’s Michael), bringing Francesca back as the lead for season 5 feels like a natural progression. That said, it’s also possible that the writers could shift the focus to Eloise for another season, giving Francesca’s narrative some breathing room after such a tragic twist. 

Eloise’s ending

Eloise’s ending is much less climactic than her sister’s. After declaring herself ‘on the shelf’ and a spinster earlier in the season (meaning she is through with marriage), there are hints at the season’s end that, while she is too stubborn to admit it, she is jealous of seeing her siblings settle down. 

Chronologically, the next novel to be adapted would be the fifth in Julia Quinn’s series, To Sir Phillip, With Love, which would see Eloise Bridgerton, the spinster of the Bridgerton family, take center stage.

Here is the synopsis of the fifth novel, To Sir Phillip, With Love:

“Sir Phillip knew from his correspondence with his dead wife’s distant cousin that Eloise Bridgerton was a spinster, and so he’d proposed, figuring that she’d be homely and unassuming, and more than a little desperate for an offer of marriage. Except . . . she wasn’t. The beautiful woman on his doorstep was anything but quiet, and when she stopped talking long enough to close her mouth, all he wanted to do was kiss her…

Eloise Bridgerton couldn’t marry a man she had never met! But then she started thinking… and wondering… and before she knew it, she was in a hired carriage in the middle of the night, on her way to meet the man she hoped might be her perfect match. Except… he wasn’t. Her perfect husband wouldn’t be so moody and ill-mannered. And he certainly should have mentioned that he had two young – and decidedly unruly – children, as much in need of a mother as Phillip is in need of a wife.”

How do the fifth and sixth novels relate to the events of the Bridgerton series?

For starters, Eloise made her social debut in the second season of Bridgerton and, even before her debut, was resistant to society’s standards, taking a feminist stance, which resulted in her mocking the customs of society and the way women are paraded around town, balls, and galas to present themselves to suitors. 

Eloise has never made the grandest effort to find a suitor, much to her mother’s disdain, and multiple years on the market have effectively made her a “spinster” with no hopes of marriage, despite the commanding dowry she likely brings to the table as a Bridgerton.

In the fifth season, Eloise remains initially resistant to the idea of finding a husband. However, her attitude begins to soften, largely due to the influence of her siblings, Benedict and Hyacinth. This change in attitude may lead her to reconsider her position and life as a spinster, prompting her to consider marriage to Sir Philip Crane, a man she has never met but has only corresponded with through letters.

But who is Sir Phillip Crane? A gentle reminder to audiences: we last saw Phillip Crane in the second season of Bridgerton, after he took his brother George’s place, who died in battle, and offered his hand in marriage to Penelope’s cousin Marina. However, the last we heard from Colin, who visited Marina, revealed that the pair may be married, but there is no romance between them at all.

A tragedy leaves Sir Phillip Crane a widower, and he receives a letter of condolence from Eloise, sowing the seeds of their relationship.

If one thing is for absolute certainty, it will be either Francesca or Eloise. Netflix has already renewed Bridgerton through season 6, so both series will be told. It’s just a matter of time. 

What is the production status of Bridgerton season 5? 

We previously reported that filming was being eyed for March 2026. However, we’re yet to receive an official filming schedule, so based on the production of previous seasons, we’re assuming filming will take around 8 months to complete. This means we expect filming to end around January 2027.

Post-production is also an incredibly long process, which will greatly impact the release of the fifth season of Bridgerton.

When does Bridgerton Season 5 release on Netflix? 

Bridgerton season 5 is expected to begin filming in Spring 2026 — so not too far away. But of course, this is a massive production and takes time. We estimate a release date of around late 2027 or early 2028.

Who would you like to see as the lead in Bridgerton Season 5? Tell us in the comments down below!