Is ‘Downton Abbey’ Really Over? What the Cast and Crew Have Said About Its Future

The final chapter of Downton Abbey has officially come to an end — at least for this iteration of the franchise.

On Sept. 12, the last installment of the three-film series was released in theaters. Though the movies themselves were a surprise to fans who thought the historical drama had ended with its sixth season in 2015, the cast has insisted that, now, the story has finally run its course.

“It’s really up to the creators, if they want to continue it in some way,” Michelle Dockery, who played Lady Mary Crawley in the series for 15 years, told The Hollywood Reporter in September 2025. “I feel like this iteration with this cast and these characters, it is the end … For us, there had to be a point where it was a definitive ending.”

As far as the crew is concerned, anything is possible. Or as Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes told Entertainment Weekly in September 2025, “I’ve learned never to say never anymore.”

So, is Downton Abbey really over? Here’s everything the cast and crew have said about the future of the franchise.

Warning: Downton Abbey spoilers ahead!

There were alternate endings to The Grand Finale

The Grand Finale ends with Mary walking through Highclere Castle and reliving the years of memories she’s had there with her family. However, that emotional scene wasn’t the only contender for the franchise’s final moment.

Dockery told The Hollywood Reporter that they shot “a couple of versions of the ending,” including one where Mary returns to work at her desk in the library.

“They decided to end it on the tribute to [Dame] Maggie [Smith], which I think is the best ending,” the actress said. “I always felt that it was the right way to finish.”

She added, “I also like that at the end of this story, Mary ends up as a single woman. There’s a new chapter ahead of her, she’s happier, and she’s excited to take the reins and become the lady of the house. It’s the end, but it feels like it’s ongoing.”

Hugh Bonneville said Smith’s death made ending Downton Abbey feel “natural”  

In 2022, fans bid farewell to the Dowager Countess of Grantham, Violet Crawley, at the end of Downton Abbey: A New Era. Two years later, Smith herself died at the age of 89.

Hugh Bonneville, who played Robert Crawley, 7th Earl of Grantham in the series, told HELLO! that the Oscar-winning star’s death only made it clearer that it was time to end Downton Abbey.

“This feels like a good time to say goodbye,” he told the outlet in September 2025. “It’s a natural ending, in a way, with the passing of Dame Maggie Smith, our matriarch. We all started on this journey together and we’re very proud to end it here, 15 years later.”

Dockery said the final film passed “the baton” to the next generation 

Dockery has maintained that The Grand Finale was the “final, final one.” However, she did say that the last movie was as much about starting a new chapter as it was closing an old one.

“Ultimately the film’s about passing the baton on from one generation to another,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “Even though the last film was called A New Era, that’s what you’re seeing in this film — the new chapter.”

Fellowes “always knew” when he would end the series 

In a September 2025 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Fellowes said he “always knew” he wanted the franchise to end with Mary in charge of Downton and her parents settled in the Dower House. Partly for the poetry of the moment, and partly because he had no interest in carrying the story into the next era of history.

“I’m not a fan of talcum powder hair and wobbly stick acting,” the Downton Abbey creator said. “To go on, we would be pushing our luck a bit and eventually be facing the Second World War.”

If he did decide to return to Downton, it would have to be “in a different time with different thinking, much later on in the century.”

But also said he’s “not against” returning to Downton in the future

Though Fellowes confirmed that the final film was the “end of the original cast,” he said the door was still open for new projects within the Downton Abbey universe.

“Whether there are any more ‘Downton’ rip-offs or connections or whatever, I couldn’t tell you,” he told the Los Angeles Times in September 2025. “There’s nothing firm at the moment. But whatever comes back, it won’t be with this original cast. We’ve come to a natural ending.”

However, he also told Entertainment Weekly that he’s “not against the idea of revisiting Downton” in the future.

“It would have to be in a different period of history so that their problems were different and they were facing different issues,” Fellowes said. “On that basis, I don’t see why not, but we’ll have to see what happens.”

The producers didn’t rule out the possibility of a reboot 

Producer Gareth Neame echoed similar sentiments in a September 2025 interview with Variety. Though he said The Grand Finale was “the last time” fans will see the original Downton Abbey characters, a reboot or a sequel set in the future isn’t out of the question.

“So it certainly couldn’t be ruled out at some stage in the future,” Neame said. “We’ll see whether it gets made again within my lifetime or not.”

He added, “It is definitely the end and the clue’s in the title. But I reserve my right to change my mind.”

Elizabeth McGovern said she is “over it”

If there’s a chance to revisit Downton Abbey in the future, don’t ask Elizabeth McGovern to join. After playing Cora Crawley, Countess of Grantham for over a decade, the actress told Tatler she was ready to say goodbye to the franchise.

“As far as I’m concerned it’s done,” she told the outlet in September 2025. “I loved making this film, but I’m now over it. I’m ready to move on.”