Claudia Jessie as Eloise, Luke Thompson as Benedict, and Hannah Dodd as Francesca as possible 'Bridgerton' Season 4 leads

Bridgerton‘s third season is upon us, but even as fans eagerly await the arrival of Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton’s (Luke Newton) love story, fans can’t help but wonder, which Bridgerton sibling will step up into the lead position for Netflix‘s previously ordered fourth season?

When it comes to the order of things, fans of Julia Quinn’s books have had the Ton shaken up by Shondaland’s adaptation as Penelope and Colin’s story doesn’t unfold until the fourth book in the series lineup, following Benedict’s (Luke Thompson) romance with Sophie Beckett, a character who has yet-to-be introduced in the show.

Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan for 'Bridgerton' Season 3

Liam Daniel/Netflix

While it may seem like the logical thing for the TV series to return to order, picking up with Benedict’s love story in Season 4, it isn’t a foregone conclusion, especially without Season 3 to guide us as viewers. If the show decides to once again skip Benedict’s story, that would mean that Eloise’s (Claudia Jessie) romance with Sir Phillip Crane (Chris Fulton) would be next in the lineup.

And then there’s Francesca (Hannah Dodd), who is clearly taking up a bigger role in this upcoming third chapter, based on promotional materials. Could she be the next to take center stage for Season 4? It’s ultimately a guessing game until Season 3 arrives, but showrunner Jess Brownell did offer some insight when we asked whether or not Season 3’s run will serve up clues as to which sibling will be the next to lead the Netflix Regency-era hit.

“That’s a good question. You have asked this question in a very crafty way because you just asked me what Season 4 is going to be. I won’t give you anything, but I do think that there are some clues at the end of Season 3 of where we’re headed,” Brownell teases. “So yeah, I leave that to fans to pick apart, but I think we’re tipping our hand just a little bit,” she promised.

In other words, fans will have a clearer idea of which sibling is poised to take the lead by the end of Season 3. Now the only problem is waiting for Part 2 to arrive in June. In the meantime, stay tuned for more Season 3 content as we approach the Part 1 premiere on Netflix, and let us know your theories about Season 4’s main couple in the comments section.

Bridgerton, Season 3, Part 1 Premiere, Thursday, May 16, Netflix