Francesca Bridgerton actress replaced in season 3 of 'Bridgerton ...

Published  May 16, 2024 2:22pm PDT

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Hannah Dodd attends Netflix's "Bridgerton" Season 3 World Premiere in NYC at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center on May 13, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Netflix)

The first four episodes of season three of the hit Netflix show "Bridgerton" were released on Thursday, and many fans were quick to notice a new face behind the character Francesca Bridgerton.

Francesca, the sixth child and third daughter in the Bridgerton family, was played by actress Ruby Stokes in seasons one and two, but the role was recast for season three with actress Hannah Dodd taking over the role.

What led to viewers' confusion was that Francesca's character was narrowly highlighted in seasons one and two, but her character enters the plot as a main role for the latest season.

In seasons one and two, Netflix barely touched on Francesca's storyline, showing her briefly at the end of season one when she returned from Bath where she had been visiting her aunt for almost a year. In season two, her absence for the majority of the season wasn't explained at all.

So what was the reason for recasting the role? Actress Ruby Stokes left the show due to scheduling issues because she was starring in another series, a supernatural mystery thriller on Netflix called "Lockwood & Co." Unfortunately for Stokes, "Lockwood & Co." was canceled after its first season, but by the time it was canceled, they had already recast the role of Francesca Bridgerton and finished filming season three.