Julia Quinn is finally sharing her thoughts on how the Bridgerton book series gender-swapped Francesca’s love interest from Michael to Michaela.
“Many Bridgerton fans have expressed their surprise, and for some, disappointment in the twist at the end of Bridgerton season 3 – that Michael Stirling, with whom Francesca eventually falls in love in When He Was Wicked would instead be Michaela,” the author wrote via Instagram on Monday, June 24. “Anyone who has seen an interview with me from the past four years knows that I am deeply committed to the Bridgerton world becoming more diverse and inclusive as the stories move from book to screen.”
Quinn acknowledged that “switching the gender of a major character” is a “huge” change. (Spoiler Warning: Bridgerton book spoilers ahead!)
“So when Jess Brownell first approached me with the idea of turning Michael in Michaela for the show, I needed more information before conferring my agreement,” she noted. “I trust Shondaland’s vision for Bridgerton, but I wanted to be sure that we could remain true to the spirit of the book and of the characters. Jess and I talked for a long time about it. More than once.”
‘Bridgerton’ Cast and Crew Discuss Gender-Swapping Francesca’s Love Interest
According to Quinn, she had a specific request about Francesca‘s story line, adding, “I made it clear that it was extremely important to me that Francesca’s abiding love for John be shown on screen. When I wrote When He was Wicked I actually had to fight to have the first four chapters, which establish that love included. My publisher was worried that writing about Fran’s love for John would take away from Michael’s role as the eventual romance novel hero.”