The bumper-sized seventh season of Outlander is right in the thick of production, so it's no surprise that a few tidbits of exciting news are starting to emerge. This week, Starz confirmed several pieces of casting info for the new season, including the recasting of a key role.
Jamie Fraser's older sister Jenny Murray will be returning this season, but actress Laura Donnelly will not. Donnelly played Jenny in seasons 1 through 3, while Kristin Atherton will be taking over the role in season 7, TVLine confirms.
Donnelly was a core part of the show's cast during its early years, so it's no surprise that fans have been surprised by this news. The exact reasons for Donnelly's recasting haven't been made public, but the actress has been busy with a number of other projects since wrapping up her first stint on Outlander, so it's entirely possible that scheduling conflicts are to blame. Most recently, she played the leading role in HBO's period sci-fi The Nevers, but the show wasn't renewed for a second season.
Whatever the reasons for Donnelly's departure, we're excited to see what Atherton brings to the role. Born in Yorkshire, England, Atherton's credits include the BBC dramas Waterloo Road and Doctors.
Jenny is just one of several key characters from past seasons who'll be making a comeback this season – Starz has just announced a slew of returns, including some characters who are dead at this point in canon.
“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," said showrunner Matthew B. Roberts in a statement. "We’re thrilled to welcome back so many familiar faces for Season 7."
Since Jenny is still alive in the show's timeline (and makes a return in Diana Gabaldon's later books), it's likely that she'll be coming back in a more straightforward way – but then again, this is Outlander, so you can never rule out time travel.
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Emma Dibdin is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles who writes about culture, mental health, and true crime. She loves owls, hates cilantro, and can find the queer subtext in literally anything.
