Fans are holding out hope that Benedict will be Bridgerton‘s first queer lead.
Since 2020, viewers worldwide have been captivated by the Netflix drama due to its romantic storylines, scandalous twists and glamorous Regency-Era backdrop.
The show has also received widespread acclaim from critics, with many lauding the series for its diversity and incredible performances from its talented cast.
However, alongside the show’s positive praises, queer fans have criticised the series for its lack of LGBTQIA+ representation.
Before the first season premiered, a trailer highlighted a gay sex scene between two characters, but ultimately this storyline was side-lined.
While the show has steer-cleared from featuring a lead LGBTQIA+ character, many fans have theorised that Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) is queer.
Speculation on the character’s sexuality first kicked off in the first season after he developed a close friendship with Sir Henry Granville (Julian Ovenden), the show’s only confirmed gay character.
Even though nothing romantic took place between Henry and Benedict, their electric chemistry seemed to suggest that the Bridgerton creatives were hinting at the possibility.
However, in 2022, former showrunner Chris Van Dusen crushed any hope of a Henry/Benedict romance when he told TV Line that their relationship was purely platonic.
Netflix
“I’ve seen a lot of discussion about Benedict’s sexuality in Season 1. But the storyline [of him befriending] Henry was really about tolerance in a really intolerant time,” he explained.
Despite Van Dusen seemingly confirming Benedict’s straightness, which is also canon in Julia Quinn’s book series of the same name, Thompson didn’t rule out the possibility of his character being queer when speaking to Entertainment Weekly.
“Benedict has such a lovely openness and fluidity about him generally, and that’s really, really fun to play because it could go anywhere,” he told the news outlet in 2022.
Since that fateful day, fans have continued to hold out hope that the beloved character would come out as queer.
On 16 May, a new wave of speculation started on social media after Netflix dropped the first four episodes of Bridgerton season three.
One fan on X, formerly known as Twitter, wrote: “While watching, I totally thought that when Benedict Bridgerton entered the tent, I totally thought that he was going to meet a man he was going to fall for before he met his future spouse in season 4 and that just goes to show how strong his bi coding is.”
Netflix
Another viewer tweeted: “Pretty sure Gregory is a member of the alphabet mafia. But I don’t want to have to wait until season 7 or 8 for our queer #BRIDGERTON. Especially when y’all only release eight episodes every 18 months. Can we speed up the gay here?! Make Benedict pan or something.”
A third fan added: “My brain is so thoroughly convinced that Benedict Bridgerton is gay, it makes my brain break to see him flirting with a woman. (And yes, I caught the bit about assuming she was a man at first). #BridgertonS3.”
Even though the jury is out on whether Benedict will come out as queer, we do know that an LGBTQIA+ Bridgerton lead is in the cards.
Back in April, the series’ new showrunner, Jess Brownell, told PRIDE that queer-led stories are set to be a major priority for her in future seasons.
Netflix
“This is a show about love in its many forms, and I think that it’s only right for us to foreground queer love and to tell queer stories,” she told the news outlet.
“I want to see more queer joy on my screens, and that was definitely a priority for me when I stepped into the showrunner role.”
Towards the end of her statement, Brownell refrained from sharing further details about who the character would be.
However, she did express her excitement for fans to see the upcoming LGBTQIA+ love stories play out.
Part one of Bridgerton season three is now available to stream on Netflix.
Latest
