There’s a New Francesca on ‘Bridgerton’: Why Did Netflix Replace Original Actress Ruby Stokes with Hannah Dodd?

Bridgerton Season 3 might be all about Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin (Luke Newton) finally getting together, but there’s a new Bridgerton sister making her entrance onto the marriage mart on the Netflix hit. Just as Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor) made her debut all the way back in Season 1 and Eloise (Claudia Jessie) did in Season 2, now Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd) is entering society. Bridgerton Season 3 Episode 1 “Out of the Shadows” opens with the Bridgertons rallying together to support the sixth sibling as she attempts to impress Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel) and find a husband. However, unlike Daphne, who was running late for her own debut, or Eloise, who did all she could to prevent it, Francesca is found placidly playing Brahms’s “Funeral March” downstairs, ready to go.

Francesca is indeed different from her sisters and the other Bridgertons. As Penelope realizes later in the episode, Francesca is the rare Bridgerton who does not naturally attract notice. She prefers to fly under the radar, as it were. In fact, you might not even have realized Francesca existed until this episode of Bridgerton. And if you did, you might still find yourself confused by this seemingly new character in Bridgerton. That’s because Hannah Dodd is new to the world of Bridgerton! Netflix replaced original Francesca actress Ruby Stokes with Dodd for Season 3.

But why did Netflix and Shondaland recast the role? Was there something nefarious afoot? What’s it have to do with Francesca’s role in Bridgerton Season 3 and beyond? Here’s everything you need to know about the new Bridgerton sister, Francesca…

Who is Francesca? All About the New Bridgerton Sister in Season 3

First thing’s first: who exactly is Francesca Bridgerton? Francesca is the sixth Bridgerton sibling and third daughter. (Recall that the eight siblings are named in alphabetical order: Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, and Hyacinth.)

We didn’t see much of Francesca in Bridgerton Season 1 because she went to Bath to visit a relative and practice her piano. Similarly, she just sort of disappears once more after the family goes to their country seat, Aubrey Hall. Francesca’s penchant for fading into the background is something that defines her character in Julia Quinn’s books. However, now that it’s time for her to enter society, it’s proving to be a tiny stumbling block for the character as she navigates the marriage mart.

Francesca is basically the quiet Bridgerton sibling. Her favorite thing is playing the piano and she explains to her mother early this season that she’s not looking for a sweeping romance as much as she wants to marry a nice man. Okay? Okay!

Why Did Netflix Replace Original Francesca Actress Ruby Stokes with Hanna Dodd?

So…uh…why did Netflix replace Ruby Stokes, the original Francesca, with Hannah Dodd?

The answer is honestly quite simple! Ruby Stokes was cast in the lead role of a different Netflix show, Lockwood & Co. The young actress chose to take on the role of ghost-hunting psychic Lucy Carlyle as opposed to staying on Bridgerton in a supporting role.

When Lockwood & Co. premiered back in January 2023, I opined that Stokes had made a smart choice. Lucy Carlyle was a fabulous character and Stokes was able to show off her considerable acting chops in the show. However, Netflix canceled the under-appreciated show mere months later.

With Stokes tied up with Lockwood & Co., Bridgerton turned to another English actress with a Netflix pedigree to play Francesca in Season 3: Hannah Dodd. The 28-year-old actress had popped as a younger version of Sienna Miller’s character in the 2022 legal thriller, Anatomy of a Scandal.

Bridgerton Spoilers: Who Does Francesca Marry in the Books? Which Bridgerton Book is About Francesca?

Okay, are you ready for some big Francesca Bridgerton spoilers, which may or may not impact your enjoyment of Bridgerton Season 3?? Here’s what happens in Francesca’s Bridgerton book, When He Was Wicked, and how the new season of the Shondaland hit has already started seeding it…

**Massive spoilers for When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn and Bridgerton Season 3, Part 1, now streaming on Netflix**

Francesca’s Bridgerton book, When He Was Wicked, starts about two years after her marriage to John Stirling, the Earl of Kilmartin. Francesca and John have a wonderful marriage, but neither are aware that John’s best friend and cousin, Michael Stirling, is secretly in love with Francesca. Michael loves his cousin so much, though, he doesn’t dare make a move. It helps that Michael is renowned as a rake, that is, the last man in the Ton thinking of love or marriage.

Francesca is pregnant with her first child and in the throes of wedded bliss when two tragedies strike. AND THESE ARE HUGE SPOILERS, OKAY?!? Francesca’s husband John dies suddenly of what’s likely a stroke or brain aneurysm. A grieving Francesca then miscarries their child. Pretty bleak for Bridgerton, huh? Michael becomes the new Earl and runs off to India because he feels so awful. He can neither stand the temptation of a single Francesca nor taking the comforts of the Kilmartin estate from her.

However, four years later, Francesca realizes that she really, deeply wants to be a mother. She finally comes out of mourning to enter the marriage mart. She sets up shop in the Kilmartin’s London townhouse unaware that…Michael has just returned from India! Without spoiling the whole book, you can probably do the Regency romance math. The rich widow who wants to marry and the lovelorn rake long devoted to her do end up together, happily ever after.

So how does Netflix’s Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 adapt this? In Bridgerton Season 3 Episode 3 “Forces of Nature,” Francesca leaves the hubbub of a ball for a moment of peace and quiet outside. She finds herself standing next to a handsome gentleman (Victor Alli) seeking the same. Francesca and this mystery man enjoy the silence together before he departs.

In Bridgerton Season 3 Episode 4 “Old Friends,” this mystery man calls upon Francesca and reveals his name is John Stirling, Earl of Kilmartin. (Reader, I SCREAMED.) The two once again sit in silence, confusing the Bridgertons. Later, Francesca seemingly embarrasses herself stopping Kilmartin in the street. He makes small talk about a violinist playing music and she explains the song should be arranged differently and Kilmartin peaces out. Francesca feels she’s been rebuffed, but later Kilmartin attends a ball just to gift her sheet music of the song arranged the way Francesca wished.

So…while the focus is all on Penelope and Colin’s romance this season, Bridgerton showrunner Jess Brownell is definitely queuing up Francesca’s story. The question is will we meet Michael Stirling in Bridgerton Season 3 Part 2?