We've known for a while now that Matthew Goode is set to be absent from the upcoming third and final Downton Abbey film – and the newly released trailer for the movie has confirmed why his character Henry Talbot won't be appearing.
In a dramatic scene in the trailer, his wife Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) is in attendance at a ball when she is frantically approached by a new character played by Joely Richardson, who tells her that she must leave immediately.
"She's divorced!" she announces, prompting a mightily shocked reaction from the rest of the attendees.
"I'm very sorry," Mary responds. "I shouldn't have come."
Sponsored by Vue Save up to 30% on the latest releases at Vue in 2025 Are you a movie lover who always wants to be up to date with the latest releases? Then you're in luck, as RadioTimes.com readers can enjoy new films at Vue Cinemas for less. Customers will receive up to 30% off films with Vue Pass, as long as they have a RadioTimes.com account. It's a great time for new releases, with films such as Wicked, Nosferatu, The Brutalist and Moana 2 taking UK cinemas by storm. Head to your nearest Vue to catch these movies and more for up to 30% less if you're signed up as a RadioTimes.com member. Save up to 30% with Vue Pass
Much of the rest of the trailer shows various characters reacting to news of the divorce, which Daisy Parker (Sophie McShera) at one point seen declaring: "This really is the night that shook the world."
Meanwhile, we also get a glimpse of some of the stars joining the cast – including a dashing new character played by Alessandro Nivola and the return of Paul Giamatti as Harold Levinson, who was last seen in the 2013 Christmas special.
You can watch the full trailer below – it certainly promises a sweeping conclusion to the long-running saga.
View oEmbed on the source websiteGoode – who was also missing from the second film – previously told Radio Times magazine that it was probably a "good thing" that he wouldn't be reprising his role as Henry in the film.
He revealed: "I was unavailable for the second because I was doing The Offer. Then [for the third] I was shooting this [Netflix series Dept. Q]. But I also buggered my knee, and I had to have an operation.
"That takes weeks to get over, so I was never going to be able to do it. And let’s face it, he was edging towards becoming a bit of a wet lettuce. So maybe it’s a good thing."
Later, he clarified those comments in an interview with Metro, claiming that he didn't mean them "in a horribly derogatory way".
He explained: "I just meant, actually, wouldn’t it be more exciting if [Lady Mary] didn’t need a man so she might end up on her own? Some people look up to her as a modern feminist or a pillar of modern feminism."
Goode had starred in the original Downton Abbey TV series in seasons 5 and 6, and also went on to star in the first film in 2019.
He previously revealed that the original intention was for him to appear in the upcoming finale, but that he would only have been in "a half-a-page scene" – during the "big racecourse day" sequence, which can be seen in the previous trailer for the film.
He added that he spoke with Lady Mary star Michelle Dockery "at length" about how the scene could possibly go, and that they were "going to try and ask for a slight rewrite", but "eventually it was just that [the film was] moving ahead" without him.
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale will be released in UK cinemas on 12th September 2025. All seasons of Downton Abbey are available to stream on ITVX.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Downton Abbey 3 trailer's huge plot twist reveals why Matthew Goode is absent )
Also on site :
- Numbrix 9 - June 30
- 21-year-old Baloch student becomes another victim of extrajudicial killing by Pakistani forces
- Gold miners killed in pit collapse in war-torn Sudan