Meghan Markle’s Acting Comeback Takes Another Twist as Conflicting Reports Cloud Possible Role in Netflix’s The Gentlemen

Meghan Markle’s possible return to acting has become increasingly difficult to untangle, with several major outlets offering conflicting accounts over whether the Duchess of Sussex is still being considered for a role in Guy Ritchie’s Netflix crime drama The Gentlemen.

The speculation has intensified just as Netflix confirmed that the series will return for a third season, giving fresh life to reports that Meghan could appear in the show after she and Prince Harry relocate to Britain.

What remains unclear is whether any serious offer was ever made — and, if it was, whether it is still on the table.

Netflix confirms The Gentlemen Season 3 — but says nothing about Meghan

Initial reports linking Meghan to the series emerged before Netflix had even officially renewed The Gentlemen beyond its upcoming second season.

Deadline reported last week that discussions surrounding a possible appearance were largely hypothetical at that stage, partly because Season 3 had yet to receive the green light.

That changed on Monday.

While releasing the trailer for Season 2, which premieres September 3, Netflix officially announced that The Gentlemen would continue into a third season, with Guy Ritchie returning as director.

“A third season felt inevitable, and I’m looking forward to pushing the boundaries of it further,” Ritchie said in a statement.

However, the announcement contained no reference to Meghan.

That omission has done little to settle the speculation surrounding her potential involvement.

One report says the offer was withdrawn

Former Vanity Fair and New Yorker editor Tina Brown added a dramatic twist over the weekend when she claimed Meghan was no longer going to appear in the series.

Writing in her Substack column, Brown said she had learned that Meghan’s reported casting had been withdrawn following what she described as intense opposition in Britain.

“The backlash in the UK was so intense, it became untenable to go forward,” Brown wrote, adding that the development did not appear encouraging for Meghan’s planned acting comeback.

That account, however, was quickly challenged.

Other reports insist discussions are still happening

The Sun subsequently reported that Meghan remained in talks over a role, citing an unnamed source who said no formal agreement had yet been reached.

Meanwhile, The Times of London presented yet another version of events, reporting that Netflix executives were apparently unaware that any preliminary offer had been made.

The BBC also examined the conflicting claims and noted that sources close to the Sussexes had not denied that Meghan had received an acting offer.

Bronte Coy, the news.com.au journalist who initially reported the story, told BBC Radio 4 that the project was a “top secret” UK production and claimed it had played a “significant” role in Harry and Meghan’s decision to spend more time in Britain.

For now, none of those accounts has been publicly confirmed by Meghan, Netflix or representatives of The Gentlemen.

The timing is particularly significant

The acting speculation comes as Harry and Meghan prepare for a major change in their family life.

The couple and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, are reportedly moving back to Britain this month, with the children expected to begin school in the UK in September.

According to ABC News, Harry and Meghan have not settled on exactly how long they will remain in Britain, although their stay is expected to last for an “extended period.”

The family is understood to be planning to live in a privately owned residence outside London rather than on a royal estate.

They are also expected to retain their Montecito home in California and their property in Portugal.

Importantly, their move will not involve a return to working royal duties.

Meghan has already taken a small step back into acting

A role in The Gentlemen would represent Meghan’s most significant return to scripted television since leaving Suits.

Her final episode of the legal drama aired in 2018 after seven seasons playing paralegal Rachel Zane.

More recently, Meghan made a cameo appearance as herself in the Amazon MGM Studios film Close Personal Friends, starring Lily Collins and Brie Larson. The movie is currently in post-production.

Most of Meghan’s television work since leaving royal life has instead focused on unscripted projects.

She hosted and executive-produced the Netflix lifestyle series With Love, Meghan, while she and Harry have developed several projects through Archewell Productions.

The Sussexes’ long relationship with Netflix

Harry and Meghan signed their original Netflix agreement in September 2020, several months after stepping back as senior working royals.

The deal, widely reported at the time to be worth around $100 million, produced several projects.

These included the 2022 documentary series Harry & Meghan, leadership docuseries Live to Lead, 2023’s Heart of Invictus and the five-part 2024 series Polo.

In August 2025, Netflix announced a new multiyear first-look agreement with Archewell Productions covering future film and television projects.

The financial terms were not disclosed.

That arrangement produced a second season of With Love, Meghan as well as a holiday special released in December 2025.

Meghan also has plans beyond television

Acting may be only one part of Meghan’s next chapter.

The BBC has reported that she hopes to expand her lifestyle and cooking brand, As Ever, internationally following the family’s return to Britain.

Netflix originally helped support the brand’s launch but stepped away as an investor in March.

At the time, the streaming company said Meghan would continue developing As Ever independently.

That means her future in Britain could combine several different areas — acting, television production and her lifestyle business — rather than marking a simple return to her pre-royal career.

One major question remains unanswered

Despite the steady flow of reports, the central question has still not been resolved.

Netflix has confirmed The Gentlemen Season 3. Meghan has been linked to the project. One report says her involvement was abandoned, another says discussions continue, and another suggests Netflix executives knew nothing about an offer.

Neither the Sussexes nor Buckingham Palace has publicly confirmed the family’s reported move, while Harry responded “nothing to say” when questioned about the reports during an event with US veterans in Washington.

Until Netflix, Meghan or the production itself speaks publicly, her potential role in The Gentlemen remains exactly that — a possibility surrounded by conflicting accounts.

But with Meghan preparing to spend substantially more time in Britain and already edging back toward acting, the speculation surrounding her next screen role is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.