‘Downton Abbey’ season 4: Dan Stevens is not upset about [spoiler]

As you probably know already if you are reading this article, Dan Stevens is not going to be a part of “Downton Abbey” season 4. Why? He made the decision that it was better for him to move on and do other things, and not stick around to play a character in Matthew Crawley that had become a fan favorite. Considering the fact that he has already done “The Heiress” on Broadway and has an upcoming movie role, it’s hard to really dispute the fact that there were other opportunities out there.

So with all of this in mind, it really should not come as a surprise that the actor does not seem to regret his decision at all. Speaking in a new interview with the Associated Press, Stevens did acknowledge all of the series’ diehard fans (who have not all been entirely happy with his decision), but ultimately explained that he is glad to have moved on with his own career:

“It’s nice that people care, I suppose, about the show, but yeah, you know … I had to do what I had to do … It’s a show that means a lot to a lot of people, and, you know, we’ve obviously gone into a lot of homes on a Sunday night, so people feel very close to the show, which is great.”

Stevens is not the only actor to leave “Downton Abbey” to pursue film roles, as Jessica Brown Findlay did so during season 3 with little fanfare. She has yet to really speak out much about the decision, but has several projects lined up for the year.

What do you think about Stevens’ comments? If you want to read some more from the world of “Downton Abbey” courtesy of Laura Carmichael (Lady Edith), you can do so by heading on over to the link here.