Two of the best Netflix shows come together in the new Heartstopper season 3 trailer as Bridgerton‘s Jonathan Bailey transforms from regency rake to celebrity crush for his cameo role in the hit teen romance that’s arriving on October 3.
Early 2022 was a special time for the best streaming service. First it was Bailey’s Anthony Bridgerton stepping into the spotlight for his will-they-won’t-they romance with Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley) in Bridgerton season 2 and next came Heartstopper. The queer coming-of-age drama adapted from Alice Oseman’s graphic novels of the same name was met with critical acclaim, with the series being renewed for a second and third season just one month after its debut.
Now, the two wildly different worlds will unite as Bailey takes on the role of Jack Maddox, an Instagram-famous classicist and Charlie Spring’s (Joe Locke) celebrity crush. We got a first look at Bailey’s appearance in the new Heartstopper season 3 trailer (see below) as Charlie and his boyfriend Nick Nelson (Kit Connor) meet him at a book launch where a shy Nick struggles to form a sentence, before gushing about how attractive he is.
That’s not the only exciting addition to the cast though as the trailer offered us a first look at Hayley Atwell (Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One) as Nick’s aunt Diane who offers him advice about his relationship with Charlie, and Eddie Marsan (Supacell) as Charlie’s wise therapist, Geoff.
Meanwhile, the trailer also teases emotional turmoil for Charlie and Nick as they face their biggest challenges yet and we get a glimpse at the other personal struggles the teens are set to face, with Elle (Yasmin Finney) confiding in Tao (William Gao) about her gender dysphoria. Get the tissues ready!
What can we expect in Heartstopper season 3?
Heartstopper series creator and writer Alice Oseman told Tudum that the story for season 3, which was one of most notable projects that was leaked online after a huge Netflix data breach in August, will focus on Nick “beginning to understand the extent of Charlie’s mental health issues”. “Mental health, sex, university ambitions, and more: Nick, Charlie, and the Heartstopper teens are getting older, learning more about themselves and each other, and experiencing new desires, new fears, and new joys as they approach adulthood.”
Heartstopper season 3 will also offer something new to the dedicated fanbase while still staying true to its core message, as Oseman added: “I’m so excited because it’s going to feel like a really different season, and I love that we are doing something different. It would be easy to be like, ‘Oh, Heartstopper Season 3, let’s just do the same kind of thing that we’ve always done. People like it.’ But we are doing something that will feel very different, and people will be surprised, and I can’t wait.”
All of our favorite chracters are returning, with Tobie Donovan (Isaac), Corinna Brown (Tara), Kizzy Edgell (Darcy), Rhea Norwood (Imogen), and Jenny Walser (Tori) all navigating the trials and tribulations of being a teenager as they must learn to lean on those they love when life throws a curveball. We can’t wait!