‘Downton Abbey’ season 4 spoilers: Allen Leech, Julian Fellowes on Martha’s return

Filming for “Downton Abbey” season 4 is currently underway, and with that in mind, there has not exactly been a plethora of opportunities to hear about what is going on with the ITV series behind the scenes. The actors are not allowed to talk details, but luckily, the appearance of a few big names at the Olivier Awards this weekend (hosted in part by series star Hugh Bonneville) allowed for a few opportunities for scoop to be shared.

We begin here with some comments from Allen Leech per Radio Times, as he talked about one of the few confirmed topics in the return of Shirley MacLaine for some more scenes as Cora’s mother Martha:

“You’ve got a British acting legend and you have a Hollywood acting legend so sitting in a room with the two of them is great.”

So is Maggie Smith also excited to work with Shirley again? Based on what series creator Julian Fellowes told the website at the event, it certainly seems like it:

“I think Maggie’s actually looking forward to getting Shirley back so they can have another go at it – round two. We’ve got to call it a Downton version of rumble in the jungle. Bashing in the pantry.”

While the interaction between Martha and the Dowager Countess on season 3 was somewhat limited, they did still have an opportunity to trade a few barbs here and there.

Are you excited for Martha’s return, even if it ends up being relatively short-lived in the same way that it was during season 3? Be sure to share some of your thoughts below! Meanwhile, you can read some more “Downton Abbey” news related to Michelle Dockery and Tom Cullen over at the link here.

Photo: ITV