‘Downton Abbey’ season 4 spoilers: Michelle Dockery not ready to leave

Just in case you were even remotely worried about whether or not Michelle Dockery was going to stay put on “Downton Abbey” in the long run, here’s a reason for you to rejoice: Proof that she has no plans to leave the critically-acclaimed series anytime soon like her longtime co-star Dan Stevens.

Speaking in a new interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Dockery was asked about some of the understandable speculation surrounding how long she would want to remain on the show, given that there are likely other opportunities awaiting her in film in other ventures. However, she still seems content to work with what she has for now, likely realizing that there is a hiatus to work on other projects, and that continuing to play Lady Mary keeps her rooted firmly in the spotlight for a good chunk of the year:

“There’s a part of me that doesn’t want it to end, because I love it so much and once it’s all over, I’m sure there will be a period when I feel slightly at a loss. It’s like this love affair that I have with my job.”

Once again, it also appears that season 4 will be quite a great one for Mary when it comes to her exploring her romantic horizons yet again, after a long period of mourning. Tom Ellis will be there as Lord Anthony Gillingham, and we know already that he is not the only man waiting in the wings. Do you smell competition? You really should, and it is made all the sweeter by the knowledge that she may not want to be with either man at first.

Do you think that Dockery will stay as long as “Downton Abbey” does, or are you of the belief that such predictions are foolish, given that Stevens has clearly shown already that anything can happen? If you want some more scoop from the show via Brendan Coyle, our advice is to visit the story here.

Photo: ITV