Production on the fifth season of Netflix's Bridgerton is in early development, with attention turning to how the series may adapt upcoming storylines from Julia Quinn's novels. Reports and interviews with the show's creative team suggest the adaptation will continue to diverge from the source material.
In the books, Francesca Bridgerton's story centres on Michael Stirling in When He Was Wicked. In the television series, the character has been introduced as Michaela Stirling, portrayed by Masali Baduza. The change has been interpreted in coverage and fan discussion as setting up what could become a central same-sex romance in a future season.
