Laura Donnelly did not return as Jenny in Outlander Season 7 and was confusingly recast heading into the latest batch of episodes.
After appearing in the first three seasons of the hits Starz romance, Jenny Murray is back in Season 7, coming into the picture again as the show's central couple returns to Scotland after several seasons overseas.
Jenny is a Scottish Highlander and the matriarch of the Murray clan. Since fans last saw her, her husband, Ian Murray, tragically died, leaving the longtime Outlander character to fend for herself.
Why Was Jenny Recast in Outlander?
Fans may have noticed that familiar face Jenny Murray was recast in Outlander Season 7.
The Scottish Highlander returned to the series in Season 7's ninth episode, greeting Jaime, Claire, and their son Ian (read more about the Outlander cast) as they fled America and made it back to Europe.
Jenny, played by Werewolf By Night actress Laura Donnelly (whose Marvel future has been teased), was introduced in Season 1 as Jaime's older sister. She was last heard from in Season 3 before Claire and Jaime traveled across the Atlantic.
However, when the character returns to greet Outlander's central couple in Season 7, Donnelly does not play the role. Instead, Jenny had been recast, with Kristin Atherton stepping in to take on the part.
A specific reason for Donnelly being replaced has not been made public.
Before the release of Season 7, showrunner Matthew B. Roberts teased Jenny's return but would not specify whether Donnelly would be back (via TVLine):
"One of the many joys of our epic story is the element of time travel which allows us to revisit some of our favorite characters in different times and places, and we’re thrilled to welcome back so many familiar faces for Season 7."
Some speculated it may have been because of a scheduling conflict on Donnelly's part;. However, when looking at her recent credits, it does not seem that there was anything that would have overlapped with Outlander Season 7 production (which started around April 2022).
The most likely reason was the extended time between Jenny's last appearance on the show and shifting priorities on the part of both the series and the star.
Donnelly last played the Outlander character in 2017. Since then, her career has taken off, and she has appeared in hits such as Marvel's Werewolf By Night and Rebecca Ferguson's Say Nothing series.
Perhaps Donnelly's recent notoriety priced the series out of bringing her back, not being able to pay her what she is worth for the extent of the character's role in Season 7.
Donnelly's career has not slowed since her time on Outlander, as she performs on Broadway and receives rave reviews for her work on the long-running musical The Hills of California.
New episodes of Outlander Season 7, Part 2 continue every Friday at 8 p.m. ET.
