Dearest gentle readers of the ton, the creators of ‘Bridgerton’ have announced the lead Bridgerton for Season 4!

Ever since the Regency-era series’ inception, ‘Bridgerton’ has carved out a niche for itself on viewers’ watchlists. Just after the conclusion of the third installment, the creators revealed that the fourth installment will focus on the second Bridgerton boy, Benedict (Luke Thompson), who will finally enter the marriage mart.

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After serving as a supporting character in the first three installments while his siblings found their love matches, it is now Benedict’s turn. The bohemian, pansexual artist will seek his Lady Bridgerton. The upcoming season will be based on Julia Quinn’s novel, ‘An Offer from a Gentleman,’ which tells Benedict Bridgerton’s story. After successfully avoiding marriage questions, Luke Thompson’s character will have a change of heart upon encountering the ‘mysterious woman in silver’ at his mother’s masquerade ball. The makers of the hit series announced the lead with an intriguing clip on Instagram.

Exuding quintessential ‘Bridgerton’ vibes brimming with quirk and anticipation, the short clip has piqued curiosity. The reel opens with a montage of characters whispering after reading Lady Whistledown’s news sheet. This gossiping montage is followed by excerpts of Benedict’s dialogue from the previous season: “I am honored to accept your acceptance” and, importantly, “It feels right now that the next thing may change me entirely,” as Netflix welcomes the sought-after Bridgerton bachelor to the marriage mart.

The clip concludes with a shot of a mock interview where Luke appears in casual attire, looking surprised about a fitting for a suit. Upon learning it’s for the masquerade ball, he smiles and says, “In that case, come on in,” teasing the arrival of his awaited match.

Tantalizing fans, the creators accompanied the reel with the caption, “It has been brought to this author’s attention that perhaps it is time to unmask the newest suitor of the marriage mart… Benedict Bridgerton’s story is coming next season.”

Fans of the character patiently await to discover how the free-spirited Bridgerton boy will experience a feeling he hasn’t felt before, and how his apparent queerness will be portrayed on screen. In a previous interview with Variety, showrunner Jess Brownell discussed expanding Benedict’s narrative and revealing his pansexuality in earlier seasons. Brownell explained, “I knew that there was a sense out there that Benedict might be queer… He’s really attracted to someone’s spirit. So, it felt like we should make sense of those pieces that were in seasons 1 and 2.” Reflecting on Benedict’s journey, Luke Thompson expressed, “Benedict has always been a little lost — or free, depending on how you want to look at it. But now he’s trying to find something a bit more solid in himself.”

The first season of ‘Bridgerton’ focused on Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Bassett (Regé-Jean Page), while the second season told the story of Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley) and Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey). Season three, released in two parts several months ago on the streaming platform, narrated the tale of Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan).

All three seasons are available on Netflix, while the release date for the Bridgerton season 4 remains under wraps.