When Outlander announced some casting for Season 7, fans learned that Kristin Atherton would take on the role of Jenny Murray. Why has the series recast the role?
We knew it was a possibility, but we got the confirmation recently that Laura Donnelly would not return as Jenny Murray at all. That doesn’t mean Jenny is out of the picture, though. The series will bring us the Murray storyline from An Echo in the Bone but with a new face for Jenny.
Kristin Atherton will take on the role. Those who were hoping to see Laura return will be wondering why that is. Why would the series recast the role?
Why Outlander has recast Jenny for Season 7
There are no official statements out there, but we can hazard a few guesses as to why the show has recast Jenny. It’s mostly due to Laura Donnelly not being able to return to the show.
Laura has said in the past that she’s not that interested in coming back. While the fourth season filmed, things had to be reworked in the story. We were supposed to see Jenny back, but Laura Donnelly wasn’t available. The story was reworked to involve Ian and Laoghaire instead.
Things couldn’t be reworked to write out Jenny from the seventh season onward. She plays a much bigger role in the books from An Echo in the Bone, so the show either needed to bring Laura back or recast. It’s clear that the series would rather bring actors back. Just look at how Lotte Verbeek is coming back as Geillis Duncan, and Lotte hasn’t been in the show since the third season.
It is possible that there were scheduling conflicts. Laura is a busy woman when it comes to TV shows. It’s also possible that she made it clear she wasn’t interested in returning—there have been comments about how she was done with the series after the third season and focusing on other projects.
What do you think of the series recasting Jenny? What do you hope to see from the books play out? Share your thoughts in the comments below.