Why did Stuart Martin leave Miss Scarlet and The Duke and will he return in season 5?

Fans of Miss Scarlet and The Duke are keen to know if Stuart Martin's character will make a return to the show in upcoming episodes.

Since its debut in March 2020, Miss Scarlet and The Duke has delighted viewers around the world, with tales of the Victorian crime solving duo Eliza Scarlet and William Wellington, AKA The Duke. William became known as The Duke as a nod to his surname and the Duke of Wellington, and both Stuart Martin who plays him, and Kate Phillips who takes the part of Miss Scarlet, became firm fan-favourites

Those tuning in fell in love with the pair's argumentative yet tender and loyal relationship - along with the will they/won't they slightly flirtatious moments. It was therefore a huge shock to fans to learn that Stuart Martin was departing from the role of The Duke and the character left during season 4.

With season 5 debuting in the UK on March 5, fans who wondered why Tristan left All Creatures Great and Small and why Megan Cusack is leaving Call The Midwife, are keen to know why Stuart Martin left the show, and whether they'll see him during the upcoming season.

Why did Stuart Martin leave Miss Scarlet and The Duke?

Stuart Martin left Miss Scarlet and The Duke because he felt it would keep the series more interesting and Eliza's story could move forward. Speaking of his decision to depart on the show's podcast, Stuart described it by saying, "It was very tough. It was very, very tough."

He added, "There's a place to tell different stories for Eliza, and to see what that is like without Duke - to allow her to not be held back by Duke."

Stuart went on to say, "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 The Duke heads off across the pond to pursue adventures in America, Stuart was asked whether he had a say in his character's fate. He described feeling very strongly that viewers should see Eliza and The Duke get together before they're pulled apart once again.

Although this might sound a little barbaric, it does make narrative sense. Stuart knew fans were desperate for the pair to become a couple and wanted to give them a snippet of that. However, he also understood that once they were a couple, they'd likely settle into the everyday mundanity of coupled life which would be far less exciting to watch.

So, that sounds very much like he's happy to let Eliza have more adventures without him and then return so they can live out their happily ever after off screen and will return - or will he...?

Will The Duke return for season 5?

As the series has been rebranded as simply 'Miss Scarlet,' it's sad news for fans hoping to see The Duke in season 5 - Stuart Martin will not be appearing in the series.

On the show's podcast, the actor described his time on the series as "such a beautiful four years".

He continued, "There’s this whole world that we have now…that feels like [it] will always be part of my life. It feels much bigger than other series I’ve done. I feel very linked to this world and this show. And it kind of follows you, you know?"

However, his time on the series is definitely over, and his concluding words were for the hordes of dedicated fans. For them, he said, "I would just thank them [the fans] 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."

As Stuart Martin isn't returning, Miss Scarlet will need a new sidekick, and Tom Durant-Pritchard will be taking up the reigns as Detective Inspector Alexander Blake. A handsome former soldier and respected Detective Inspector, Blake is actually more at ease with a woman working as a private eye than his predecessor

Their relationship gets off to a difficult start when Blake decides not to allow private detectives to aid in his investigations - he doesn't mind that they're women, he just doesn't want any of them helping him out.

However, as his path continues to cross with Miss Scarlet's at crime scenes across London, the pair begin to develop a mutual respect. You might even find their feelings spill over into more than just respect, and the series creators have hinted that Miss Scarlet could have a new love interest in her life...