So, here we are. It’s 2026, and the dust has finally settled on the absolute whirlwind that was the latest chapter in the Bridget Jones saga. If you’ve been living under a rock—or just aren’t prone to obsessively checking release schedules—you might still be wondering why everyone suddenly went loca por el Bridget Jones again after all these years.
Honestly? It’s because Helen Fielding did the unthinkable. She killed him. She actually killed Mark Darcy.
When the news first broke that the fourth film, Mad About the Boy (or Loca por él in the Spanish-speaking world), was officially happening, the internet basically imploded. It wasn’t just a "yay, more Chardonnay" moment. It was a "wait, is he really gone?" moment. Navigating the world of Bridget in 2025 and 2026 has been a wild ride of grief, Tinder mishaps, and surprisingly deep reflections on what it means to start over when you're north of fifty.
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The Mark Darcy Bombshell and Why It Changed Everything
Let’s get the elephant out of the room. The reason fans went totally loca por el Bridget Jones this time around wasn’t just nostalgia. It was the collective trauma of losing the man in the itchy Christmas jumper.
In the film, which hit theaters and Peacock back in February 2025, we find out Mark died on a humanitarian mission in Sudan. It's brutal. It's a massive tonal shift from the "who’s the daddy?" hijinks of the third movie. But strangely? It works.
By removing the "perfect" ending, Fielding forced Bridget—and us—to deal with the messy reality of middle age. It’s not just about counting calories or units of alcohol anymore. Now, it’s about counting years since a loss. Bridget is a widow with two kids, Billy and Mabel, trying to figure out if she’s allowed to be a sexual being again.
People were skeptical. I was skeptical. Can Bridget Jones even exist without Mark Darcy to look at her "just as she is"?
Turns out, she can. She’s sharper now. A bit more fragile, sure, but way more resilient. The 2025 film gave Renée Zellweger room to actually act instead of just doing the "clumsy girl" schtick. Seeing her in her pyjamas, barely holding it together, felt more real than any of the previous sequels.
The New Men: Roxster and the Science Teacher
Once Bridget finally gets off the couch—thanks to a "Tinder-vention" from her friends—the movie dives headfirst into modern dating. And boy, is it cringey. In a good way.
Bridget ends up in a "situationship" with Roxster, played by Leo Woodall (you probably know him from One Day or The White Lotus). He’s thirty. She’s... not. The age gap is the source of a lot of the comedy, but it’s handled with a surprising amount of grace. He’s not a villain; he’s just a twenty-something guy who actually likes her.
But the real MVP of the new era? Mr. Wallaker.
Chiwetel Ejiofor stepped into the "stiff upper lip" role as her son’s science teacher. He’s outdoorsy, a bit of a hard-ass, and carries a whistle like it’s a weapon. There’s this rain-sodden outward bound trip that is classic Bridget. It’s messy, it’s muddy, and the chemistry between Zellweger and Ejiofor is palpable. It gave fans a reason to stop mourning Mark Darcy for five minutes and realize that life goes on.
A Quick Reality Check on the Timeline
If you're trying to keep the books and movies straight, it's a bit of a headache.
- The Diary (1996/2001): The beginning of the obsession.
- The Edge of Reason (1999/2004): The one with the Thai prison.
- Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016): The movie came after the book Mad About the Boy, but it actually takes place before it chronologically in the film world.
- Mad About the Boy (2025): The current peak of being loca por el Bridget Jones.
The movie follows the 2013 book's plot fairly closely, which is why the Mark Darcy news wasn't a shock to readers, but it was a massive blow to casual movie-goers who skipped the novels.
Why the Franchise Still Hooks Us in 2026
We’re obsessed because Bridget is the "everywoman" who actually aged with us.
Most rom-com characters are frozen in amber. They’re forever 28, living in a New York apartment they could never afford. Bridget is 51. She has gray hairs. She has kids who talk back. She has a Twitter (well, X) account with zero followers and a TV that requires three remotes to turn on.
There’s a scene where she struggles with the "disastrous email CC" and drunk-texting. It’s painful to watch because we’ve all been there. The "smug marrieds" from the first movie are still around, but now they’re dealing with divorces or their own mid-life crises.
Honestly, the supporting cast—Shazza, Jude, and Tom—remain the heart of the story. They’re the "urban family" that never left. And yes, Hugh Grant’s Daniel Cleaver makes a comeback. He’s still a cad, still obsessed with "panties," and still providing the much-needed comedic relief that balances out the heavy grief themes.
Making Sense of the "Loca" Phenomenon
If you want to dive back into the world of Bridget without getting overwhelmed, here is how to handle it:
- Watch the 2025 movie first. Don’t overthink the continuity. Just accept that it’s been a few years since Mark passed and watch Bridget find her feet.
- Don't skip the book. Helen Fielding’s prose in Mad About the Boy is actually some of her best. The "fart flirting" jokes might be a bit much, but the way she writes about bereavement is genuinely heartbreaking and beautiful.
- Look for the cameos. The fourth film is packed with callbacks to the original. Emma Thompson returns as the "acidic" Dr. Rawlings, and she steals every single scene she’s in.
The biggest takeaway from being loca por el Bridget Jones in 2026? It’s okay to be a mess. It’s okay to fail. It’s okay to start over at fifty with a man who is twenty years younger, or a teacher who yells at your kids.
Bridget taught us that life doesn't end when the "happily ever after" gets interrupted. It just starts a new chapter.
To get the full experience, track down the 2025 film on Peacock or your local streaming service and pay close attention to the scene involving the owl. It’s a metaphor for Mark’s memory that will probably make you cry. Once you’ve done that, go back and read the original 1995 columns from The Independent to see just how far our favorite singleton has come.