Netflix has made an unusually confident move with The Gentlemen: the streamer has renewed Guy Ritchie’s crime series for a third season before audiences have even seen Season 2. Yet the renewal itself may not be the development that ultimately attracts the most attention. At the same time that Netflix is expanding the show, Meghan Markle is reportedly in discussions for an unspecified role in Season 3, creating a second storyline around the series that has little to do with Eddie Horniman’s criminal empire.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Season 2 of The Gentlemen is scheduled to arrive on Netflix on September 3, 2026. The decision to approve Season 3 before that premiere suggests Netflix is prepared to keep investing in the world Guy Ritchie created, rather than waiting to see how the next chapter performs.

Ritchie himself has made clear that he sees the series as something that is still growing.

“The ambition of The Gentlemen has accelerated, the world has expanded, and the consequences carry weight,” he said. He added that “a third season felt inevitable” and that he wants to keep pushing the boundaries of the story.

That statement is important because it frames Season 3 not simply as another continuation, but as part of a larger expansion. The original premise of The Gentlemen was already built around escalation: Eddie Horniman, played by Theo James, inherits his family’s enormous estate after the death of his father, the Duke of Halstead, only to discover that a major marijuana operation is running beneath the property under the control of the Glass family.

From that unexpected inheritance, Eddie becomes increasingly connected to a criminal world he did not initially control.

Season 2 appears ready to widen that world even further.

Eddie and Susie Glass, played by Kaya Scodelario, will turn their attention toward Europe and beyond. Co-writer Matthew Read explained that the second season was always intended to focus on Eddie expanding the reach of his criminal empire while also testing his relationship with Bobby Glass, the man Eddie is operating under.

That expansion makes the early Season 3 renewal easier to understand. The story is no longer limited to one estate or one criminal arrangement. The series is deliberately becoming bigger, and Netflix has now given Ritchie room to continue that progression.

But the possibility of Meghan Markle entering that world changes the conversation around Season 3.

Reports say the Duchess of Sussex is still in talks to join the series, although no agreement has been finalized. She has reportedly been “eyed for a part,” while another report described the discussions as advanced. However, even the scope of the possible role remains uncertain.

The character is reportedly still being written, and it is not yet clear how many episodes Meghan might appear in.

That uncertainty matters because the casting story has developed faster than the production itself. Season 3 is expected to move toward production soon, but scripts have not yet been finalized, and new casting has not officially been completed. Guy Ritchie is expected to direct the third season and co-write it with Matthew Read.

Representatives for Netflix and Meghan did not immediately comment on the reports.

For now, that means two things can be true at once: the discussions surrounding Meghan may be serious, but her appearance in The Gentlemen is not confirmed.

The timing also gives the rumor additional significance.

Meghan and Prince Harry recently announced that they would move back to the United Kingdom with their two children. The Gentlemen is both set and filmed in England, which means the reported casting discussions are emerging at the same time that Meghan’s personal circumstances are becoming more closely connected to the location where the series is produced.

That does not prove a deal will happen, but it does make the possibility more intriguing.

If Meghan ultimately joins the show, it would place her inside an already established ensemble led by Theo James and Kaya Scodelario, alongside Daniel Ings, Ray Winstone and others. More importantly, she would be entering the series at the exact moment its fictional world is becoming larger and more ambitious.

That could make Season 3 feel very different from a routine continuation.

Still, the biggest mistake would be treating the casting speculation as settled. Netflix has confirmed the season. Guy Ritchie has confirmed his intention to continue expanding the story. Meghan’s involvement, however, remains in the negotiation stage.

And that distinction may be what makes the next few months particularly interesting.

The Gentlemen already has momentum without Meghan Markle. Season 2 is about Eddie pushing his criminal reach beyond its previous limits, and Season 3 has already been secured before viewers see where that expansion leads.

But if the reported discussions eventually become a finalized deal, Season 3 could arrive with a level of attention that extends far beyond fans of Guy Ritchie’s crime world.

The show has already guaranteed its next chapter.

The unanswered question is who will be standing inside that world when it begins.