Julian Fellowes Hints at a 'Downton Abbey' Crossover for 'The Gilded Age' Season 4

The marketing for the final Downton Abbey film is in full swing, with less than a month to The Grand Finale’s debut in the theaters. Peacock will stream all episodes of the series and the first two movies ahead of the film’s release, as well as a TV special featuring behind-the-scenes stories from the cast, which is set to air in the U.S. on September 10, 2025. Naturally, the fandom’s return to Highclere Castle for the final time is reviving interest in the Granthams’ story, and rumors have been circulating in recent months that, although this iteration of the series is over, it does not mean Downton Abbey is done as a franchise. In a recent interview, Elizabeth McGovern, who starred in all six seasons and all three films as Lady Cora Crawley, fanned those flames, claiming she’d heard the producers shooting the breeze about possible “Young Cora” stories while filming. 

It turns out McGovern may have been correct about what she heard, but right church, wrong pew, as they say. In a new interview with TVLine, series creator Julian Fellowes revealed that with the end of the movies, the rights to all the characters will be in-house, making them available for new projects, as well as ongoing ones like The Gilded Age. “We can bring about a conjunction whenever we wish,” he said. “We haven’t got one planned yet, so we’ll have to see.”

Understandably, the cast of Downton overhearing talk of young Cora Crawley would have assumed it not to be related to The Gilded Age, as Season 2 barely eked out a renewal, and most fans believed there was little chance Season 3 would be so lucky. However, Season 3 didn’t just go hard; it also finally gave the characters some real stakes alongside their glorious clothing, and a Season 4 renewal was secured well before Season 3 dropped its cliffhanger finale.

As to who would cross over and how remains to be seen, but Fellowes clearly already has ideas. "Obviously, there’s an opportunity to, because they are both in England," he said of the two series. "Things like the shooting season or whatever would incorporate many great houses for all of these families, as they would travel around England."

Now, while The Gilded Age is set in the 1880s, it's still a few years out from Cora Levinson's London debut in 1888 or her marriage to Robert in 1890. Season 3 begins in 1884, the first winter after the Krakatoa eruption, which was responsible for what became known as the "Little Ice Age," and wreaked havoc on weather patterns for the rest of the decade. However, that does not mean fans will have to wait another four seasons to see the Crawleys. Robert is, at this point in time, an eligible bachelor without the means to travel to the U.S. to fortune hunt for a wife. His mother, Lady Violet, would therefore be scheming to send him to house parties on estates where the Duchess is a New Money New Yorker with unmarried friends, in hopes of a love match, or barring that, a compromising position. 

That being said, chances are The Gilded Age is due for a time jump next season to fast forward through Gladys' pregnancy, and allow the fallout from the Season 3 finale to settle. Also, Fellowes is no fool. The Gilded Age was lucky; finally reaching the original story Fellowes planned to tell all those years ago when he pitched it in 2012 (of a rich daughter married against her will to an aristocrat, who then discovers they actually like each other) took the series from ridiculous to sublime. However, fans of Downton Abbey are aware that later seasons can start to bring diminishing returns. Having a young Robert and a late 30s Lady Violet show up next season, with a promise of the 1888 London Season the following year, would generate enough buzz to guarantee an automatic renewal.

Fellowes is the creator and writer of The Gilded Age, with Salli Richardson-Whitfield as co-writer; both are expected to return to pen Season 4, with Erica Dunbar continuing as the historical consultant. Director Michael Engler, who has directed episodes every season thus far, will most likely turn up behind the camera again, as will Richardson Whitfield. All are executive producers, along with Sonja Warfield, Gareth Neame, and Bob Greenblatt. 

The Gilded Age Seasons 1 through 3 are streaming on HBO Max. All episodes of Downton Abbey, as well as the two already released films, will be available on Peacock starting September 1, 2025. Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale will premiere in theaters on September 12, 2025.