‘Downton Abbey’ season 6 spoilers: Boss hints at Allen Leech, Lily James possibilities

Are we going to see a magical situation when “Downton Abbey” returns, and suddenly Tom Branson and Lady Rose are both going to be a part of the show full-time again? It may not be the best idea to count on that. However, at the same time, you probably should not look at the two characters departing to Britain during the season 5 finale as a sign that they will never be setting foot at the famed Abbey again.

Speaking to Deadline following the conclusion of this past season last weekend, executive producer Gareth Neame was coy on the future of Allen Leech and Lily James, who have been key parts of the series the past few seasons. However, he did propose a situation in which they could very easily come back … and it does not take much to guess what this situation could be:

“Both their characters have travelled to America to make new lives, but they are members of this family so a visit home may well happen at some time.”

We are more optimistic admittedly about seeing more of Branson than of Rose. James is extremely busy at the moment promoting her upcoming “Cinderella” movie, and we have a hard time thinking that she will be able to balance out an international press tour with filming at Highclere Castle at the same time. Leech has said that he would like to return, but the decision is up to series creator and writer Julian Fellowes.

Production on season 6 will continue in England until the summer, and these new episodes will air on ITV come the fall. Stay tuned, as we will have further updates every step of the way.

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