Stuart Martin won't be returning as The Duke for Miss Scarlet and The Duke Season 5, leaving some fans to question why and who will replace him.
Scottish actor Martin has been co-leading the way in Miss Scarlet and The Duke since it began, taking his final leading role in the cast of Season 4.
Why Isn't The Duke in Miss Scarlet Season 5?
Miss Scarlet and The Duke was renewed for Season 5 in February 2024. However, this came with a caveat that Stuart Martin would depart his leading role as William Wellington, aka The Duke, and the series would be retitled Miss Scarlet (via PBS).
Explaining his departure after four years on the series, the Scottish actor noted how he felt it was the right time for Miss Scarlet and The Duke to "explore new stories and challenges" without him:
"It has been such an incredible joy to bring Duke to life through Rachael’s beautiful, brilliant writing, and to get to play him for the past four years. But it felt like the time was right for Scarlet to explore new stories and challenges for now, as the show continues to grow and evolve."
That said, Martin did explain his exit with an intriguing "for now," perhaps suggesting the door may be open to him returning in the future.
In an article published by PBS sharing an interview with Martin, the network revealed the Duke has departed his role at Scotland Yard in London ahead of Season 5 for a fresh start in New York City (more on his replacement later).
During the interview with PBS's Masterpiece Studio podcast, Martin explained his decision to leave came to service the story as he felt "there's something really interesting in him leaving" and the place it leaves Eliza and the Duke:
“It was very tough. It was very, very tough. My feeling was that there’s something really interesting in him leaving. You get to put it all on the line, really, and we get to see [Eliza and Duke] get to a moment that they probably wouldn’t get to if you were going to continue. Or certainly you’d have to pull them back from it.”
As for what's next for Martin, he is currently in production on In Flight for the U.K.'s Channel 4 to be released in 2025. It will see an air hostess forced to smuggle drugs by a criminal gang, of which Martin's Cormac will be a leading member.
Stuart Martin's Replacement in Miss Scarlet - Everything We Know
In terms of his replacement, Deadline confirmed in April 2024 that This Is Going to Hurt actor Tom Durant Pritchard will board Miss Scarlet for Season 5 as Alexander Blake, a "handsome former soldier and respective detective inspector."
The report revealed Durant Pritchard will fill the whole cast left by Martin's departure and the hole left in Scotland Yard, as he will be taking over from the Duke, who has moved to America ahead of Season 5.
After taking over from the departed Duke, Alexander Blake will meet the private detective Miss Scarlet. The titular detective will be initially relieved to find the newcomer takes kindly to a woman working as a private eye, only to be disappointed after discovering he doesn't allow private detectives on his cases.
The report teased that Miss Scarlet and Blake will run into each other at crime scenes around London, and through their work, will develop a mutual respective and even attraction toward each other.
Miss Scarlet Stars Bid Farewell to The Duke
During PBS's original announcement of Stuart Martin's departure discussed prior, the network shared comments from The Duke actor and other key figures in Miss Scarlet, bidding farewell to the former leading detective.
Martin noted how he will "miss working with [his] amazing partner in crime" but is excited to see the series' story continue without him:
"I will miss working with my amazing partner in crime [Kate Phillips] and the rest of our brilliant family and team, but I’m excited to continue following Eliza and her escapades as a huge fan and newly enrolled Scarleteer!”
Miss Scarlet actress Kate Phillips expressed how she and her character will miss her departing co-star, but teased that "the best is yet to come" for Eliza:
“I will miss working with my pal Stu every day, and know Eliza will miss her Duke, but I think the best is yet to come for her. I can’t wait for fans to see what we have in store for Season 5.”
Series creator Rachael New added how the team will "miss [their] Duke" before adding how they will be "keeping [Eliza] very busy" in Season 5:
“We will miss our Duke but there is so much in store for Eliza – new crimes, new friends, new foes and new romance. We will be keeping her very busy!”
Martin was also sure to thank the fans, dubbed "the Scarleteers," in his farewell speech, praising them for having "stuck with it and had really interesting conversations" and sharing his hopes that "they don't hate [him]:"
“The amazing thing about [Miss Scarlet and The Duke]…it was really loved by this brilliant fan base, the Scarleteers. They were just such warm, lovely fans who got as passionate about it as you did. And over the last four or five years, they’ve stuck with it and had really interesting conversations about it. I would just thank them for that support and that love that they’ve given the show and that they’ve given Duke. Hopefully, hopefully they don’t hate me.”
Miss Scarlet and The Duke will return for Season 5 on Sunday, January 12 at 8 p.m. EST on PBS.
