Renee Zellweger Questioned Bridget Jones’ Happiness Without Mark Darcy

Bridget Jones is caught between two new love interests in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, which even surprised star Renée Zellweger.

“It was sad as an actress not to share the experience with [Colin Firth] and also know that Mark Darcy’s gone away,” Zellweger, 55, exclusively told Us Weekly at the Wednesday, February 12, red carpet premiere at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. “[It’s] something really important for Bridget’s journey in this chapter of her life, which is that if she does choose new happiness, does that mean that she didn’t love him enough? I think it’s a familiar struggle for a lot of people.”

The first three Bridget Jones flicks, adapted from Helen Fielding’s novels of the same name, is a modern Pride & Prejudice adaptation, in which Zellweger’s Bridget ultimately finds love with Mark Darcy (Firth). In Mad About the Boy, however, Mark has died, leaving Bridget a widow and single mother to their two children.

She also has two love interests in the new film: Mr. Wallaker (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Roxstar (Leo Woodall). Firth, 64, also appears in the film as does Hugh Grant’s Daniel Cleaver, who was presumed dead ahead of 2016’s Bridget Jones’s Baby.

According to film writer Fielding, there was no other way to move the story line other than including Mark’s passing.

“The thing is, Mark Darcy is ultimately a gentleman. He never would have left her with two children, so how could I make Bridget a single mom without two children without murdering Colin Firth?” Fielding, 66, quipped to Us during the NYC premiere, teasing Firth’s reaction to his character’s demise. “Colin and Hugh call each other Mrs. Darcy and Mrs. Cleaver. And he said, ‘I should’ve murdered Mrs. Cleaver instead.’ I love them.”

Amid the many changes in Bridget — from widowhood, motherhood and more —  it was also “important” to show Bridget’s evolution in Mad About the Boy, according to Zellweger.

“We’re a little more measured, hopefully, and more mature,” she said. “It’s a different perspective, different values when you reach this stage in life. So, I really appreciated that this film explores the meaningful things life throws at you.”

The film also still retains the franchise’s signature sense of humor.

“It was hard to keep a straight face. We had a good giggle,” Zellweger teased to Us about one comedic scene with costar Emma Thompson. “I think I might’ve seen [her] about to go too at one point, which was a real triumph in my opinion.”

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy premieres on Peacock Thursday, February 13.

With reporting by Antonio Ferme