Netflix Casts 'The Gentlemen' Season 3 Without Meghan Markle

Netflix announced eight new cast members for season three of "The Gentlemen" on Friday, confirming that Meghan Markle is not among them despite months of speculation, according to Page Six.

Who is joining The Gentlemen for season 3?

Netflix confirmed that Orlando Bloom, Elijah Wood, Robert Carlyle, Dexter Fletcher, Bruna Marquezine, Ed Speleers, Saffron Burrows and Bugzy Malone are joining the Guy Ritchie-created crime drama, Page Six reported. Bloom and Wood previously co-starred in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. The series stars Theo James and is based on Ritchie's 2019 film of the same name.

Who is leaving the cast?

Netflix also confirmed that Daniel Ings is exiting the show after two seasons. Ings played Lord Frederick "Freddy" Horniman, the older brother of James' character, Eddie Horniman, per Page Six.

Why isn't Meghan Markle joining the show?

Markle, 45, who quit acting in 2017 upon her engagement to Prince Harry, had been the subject of summer speculation that she was eyeing a role in the series, Page Six reported. Netflix boss Manda Levin fueled that talk with a cryptic response at the Edinburgh TV Festival in August, telling an interviewer who asked about the "Suits" alum joining the show, "All bets are off."

But Page Six reported the following month, citing an unnamed insider, that Markle never received an offer and had only one conversation with the series' casting director. "She took it as an offer. And it wasn't," the insider told Page Six. "And [she and husband Prince Harry] thought it would be helpful in the moment for there to be a reason for their move."

A second source told Page Six there was never a formal offer, but that interest in Markle joining the cast was initiated by Ritchie, 58.

Did Netflix use the Markle rumors to promote the show?

Page Six reported that a friend of Markle's claimed last week that Netflix "used" the speculation about her joining the cast to promote the show's second season. The outlet's report did not include further detail on that claim or a response from Netflix.

What is The Gentlemen about?

The series follows James' character, Eddie Horniman, as he inherits his family's estate and discovers it sits atop a cannabis empire. The show is one of Netflix's entries in the crime-drama genre built around Ritchie's signature mix of dark comedy and British gangland plotting. A premiere date for season three had not been announced in the material reviewed for this report.

The casting shift marks the clearest signal yet from Netflix that the Markle buzz, however it originated, will not translate into a role for the former "Suits" star. Whether the streamer addresses the "used" claim from Markle's friend remains an open question as season three moves toward production.

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