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Bridgerton Author Julia Quinn Breaks Silence Over Michaela Gender Swap By Saying THIS
Julia Quinn has opened up about the major Bridgerton Season 3 twist of gender-swapped Michaela, set to spark a potential romance with Francesca following her husband John’s death.
Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers about Bridgerton Season 3
Bridgerton Season 3 was brimming with surprises and the greatest of them all was the gender-swap in Francesca Bridgerton’s story. While the twist has left book and TV fans divided, author Julia Quinn is not remaining tight-lipped about her stance on the matter.
The latest season showcased a new character, Michaela set to spark a potential romance with Francesca following her husband John’s death. The character, played by Masali Baduza, is a gender-swapped version of Michael Sterling in the Bridgerton book series. Quinn spoke out about the major twist in Season 3 that diverts from her novel in an elaborate statement to the fans.
Julia Quinn speaks up about gender swap in Bridgerton Season 3
Julia Quinn’s insight on Michael’s gender swap in the Netflix series is worth pondering upon as fans tire themselves out debating on the twist. The 54-year-old author took the opportunity to pen an elaborate note of acknowledgment for the fans’ disappointment with the twist and confiding in the Bridgerton production helmed by Shonda Rhimes.
“I trust Shondaland’s vision for Bridgerton, but I wanted to be sure that we could remain true to the spirit of the book and of the characters,” Quinn wrote in an Instagram post shared on Monday, June 24. The NY Times best-selling author explained that she and showrunner Jess Brownell had talked about it for long and “more than once” before going with the final decision.
Quinn stressed the importance of Francesca’s love for John really showing on-screen regardless of the gender swap because she wanted the viewers to feel their romance even after John dies, adhering to the book.
Moreover, Michaela’s anticipated queer romance with Fran is a diversity the author was willing to embrace as she writes in her statement, “I am deeply committed to the Bridgerton world becoming more diverse and inclusive.” Yet, she addressed how the gender switch of a major character was significant in the Bridgerton plotline and claimed she asked for more information about the Michaela-Fran story before confirming her agreement.
The author highlights that she had to fight for Fran and John’s love story in the first four chapters of the Francesca-centric novel When He Was Wicked. Likewise, Season 4 of Bridgerton is expected to focus on Fran’s budding romance with Michaela, alongside the guilt of her deceased husband John.
Quinn claimed the upcoming season may “pack even more of a punch” of their heart-wrenching love story since John got more screen time than in the books. Finally, she revealed that the show and books will probably divert by the end on two “beautiful and moving” stories.
Jess Brownell teases Francesca’s story in Season 4
According to the book sequence, When He Was Wicked follows Francesca’s blooming love story with Michael Sterling. But Jess Brownell did not confirm if the Bridgerton TV series would follow the same sequence and delve into Fran’s story because she feels the character’s on-screen story has more “installments” than the book stories.
While Season 4 may not be completely Francesca-centric, the showrunner revealed that the TV show is getting started on her story a bit “more quickly.” But fans won’t see it until the next few years as Season 4 is scheduled for a 2026 release.
All episodes of Bridgerton Season 3 are now streaming on Netflix.
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