Jonathan Bailey as Anthony and Simone Ashley as Kate on season three, episode one of "Bridgerton."
Liam Daniel/Netflix
Kate and Anthony were the center of season two, but absent for half of "Bridgerton" season three.
Simone Ashley, who plays Kate, told reporters recently that she will return in season four.
Here are the other reasons we think Kanthony will return in future seasons.
Warning: This article contains minor spoilers for "Bridgerton" season three and the novel "The Viscount Who Loved Me."
"Bridgerton" fan-favorites Kate and Anthony may return after their sudden exit in season three, and certain clues suggest the characters could be around for a while yet.
After a turbulent love journey in season two, Kate (Simone Ashley) and Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) experience a blissful romance in season three, including a few steamy sex scenes.
However, the doting couple is still in their honeymoon era and keeps leaving London on sudden trips.
In season three, episode one, they go back on their honeymoon and do not appear in the remaining episodes of part one, upsetting many Kanthony fans.
In part two, they return to London because Kate is pregnant. They stay for three episodes before deciding to leave again to go to Kate's home country, India, so she can give birth to their child. Kate wants to revisit her home, and Anthony wants their child to experience India.
After a discussion about leaving, they are not seen in the season three finale, and Francesca, one of Anthony's siblings, reveals they have already left for India.
For a moment, this seemed like an attempt to write off the characters so that Ashley and Bailey could leave the show.
But, on Wednesday, Ashley told reporter Josh Rom at the UK "Bridgerton" season three screening that she plans to return for season four.
"Kate Sharma is here to stay," she said.
Bailey has not commented yet if he will also return.
Representatives for Netflix did not immediately respond to a comment request from Business Insider.
Despite "Bridgerton" being one of the most-watched Netflix series and a launchpad for many aspiring British actors, the series has struggled to keep former leads.
Regé-Jean Page and Phoebe Dynevor, who played the leading couple of the first season, both left the series. Francesca Bridgerton also had to be recast ahead of season three after Ruby Stokes left to star in another Netflix series.
Though "Bridgerton" changes its lead characters each season, it is still an ensemble show, and fans are often curious about what happens to their favorite characters after they've married.
However, we think Kate and Anthony may be the few leads to stick around for future seasons. Here's why.
Anthony and Kate Bridgerton have four children in the book series.
Kate (Simone Ashley) and Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) Bridgerton in "Bridgerton" season three, episode one.
Netflix
In the book series that "Bridgerton" is based on, written by Julia Quinn, Kate and Anthony have four children after their marriage: Edmund, Miles, Charlotte, and Mary. According to a family tree on Quinn's website, Edmund, the first child, is born a year after their wedding.
In "Bridgerton" season three, part two, Kate is pregnant with her first child, but we never see her give birth or the baby.
But there's still hope — both actors want to see a Kanthony baby, too.
Bailey told the Wrap in 2022: "And I just can't wait for him to have a baby. Baby Edmund is the first that's to come, if it's according to the books. But maybe they'll have octuplets or something. Maybe they'll flip it on its head."
Meanwhile, Ashley told IMDB in 2022: "I'd love to see them have a baby, to put it simply. And maybe that'll happen. Maybe it won't, but hopefully it will."
Come on, Netflix. Give the people what they want.
Unlike Daphne and Simon, Kate and Anthony have a good reason to stick around.
Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) and Simon Basset (Regé-Jean Page) in "Bridgerton" season one.
Liam Daniel/Bridgerton
Kate and Anthony are now the Viscount and Viscountess of the Bridgerton family and will have to lead the family once they return from India.
This means Kate and Anthony have a bigger reason to stick around than the other characters who left. We can't leave out the couple that runs the Bridgertons in a show about the family.
Bailey told the Wrap that he'd also want to appear in the wedding scenes for the other Bridgerton actors.
"I'm going to be there for when I'm needed, but also, you know, there's no way I'm not going to be at the weddings of — from everyone from Claudia Jessie, and Luke Thompson, Luke Newts, down to Will Tilson and Florence Hunt," he said.
In season three, part two, Kate and Anthony did return for Colin Bridgerton's (Luke Newton) wedding but leave before Florence Bridgerton's (Hannah Dodd) wedding.
Kate and Anthony's departure seemed sudden, and it might have been because Bailey and Ashley were not able to be on set on the day the wedding was filmed.
Ashley also told IMDB: "I'm excited to see Kate become the viscountess and the head of the household. I think she has much to learn from Anthony, and there'll be two little partners doing it together."
Jonathan Bailey is very keen to continue playing Anthony Bridgerton despite getting other major roles.
The Bridgerton family.
Liam Daniel / Netflix
Since season two, Ashley and Bailey have been cast in new movies and TV series, which may complicate any return to "Bridgerton."
Bailey, especially, has had a busy year. He starred in the miniseries "Fellow Travelers," has a leading role in the upcoming two-part blockbuster musical "Wicked," made a cameo in "Heartstopper" season three, and was just cast as the lead in the next "Jurassic World" movie.
However, despite all this, Bailey found time to shoot scenes in "Bridgerton" season three. In November 2023, Bailey spoke on the SiriusXM show "Radio Andy" about how he filmed "Bridgerton" and "Fellow Travelers" simultaneously.
"I didn't have a day off, and it was that for 32 days," Bailey said, referring to flying between both sets to film the two series.
This may be more difficult as Bailey becomes a movie star, but the actor seems invested enough in "Bridgerton" to make an effort when he can.
We will likely have a better idea about Kate and Anthony's future when "Bridgerton" season four premieres. The season does not have a release date yet.
