original Downton Abbey characters are set to return, including the house's butler, Thomas Barrow (Rob James-Collier), which is somewhat of a surprise given how his story ended in the previous installment.

The movies have been fairly successful, and even though Grand Finale cast, his role in the final movie still remains a pretty big question.

Downton Abbey: A New Era Saw Thomas Finally Find Love

Thomas Finally Found A Real Partner

Thomas' arc was one of the most satisfying in the Downton Abbey franchise, as he spent the earlier seasons as a fairly rude and unlikable character, before undergoing quite a few dramatic shifts as more was revealed about him. As a gay man, he had an extremely difficult time living in early 20th-century Britain, so his bitterness made a lot of sense, even though he began to soften a bit as the series progressed. However, during the show, he never got his true happy ending, even going so far as to attempt suicide during the final season.

His attempt failed, and he ended the series in a somewhat stable place, though he still hadn't found any kind of partner. However, that changed during the second Downton Abbey movie, when he fell in love with actor Guy Dexter, played by Dominic West, and planned to move with him to California. This was a far cry from his position on the show, where he even said that he believed he may be alone forever, and it was easily the happiest ending Thomas could've asked for.

Dominic West's Guy Dexter Is Confirmed To Return In Downton Abbey 3

Thomas And Guy Are Seemingly Still A Couple In The Third Film

Thomas did have a love interest in the first Downton Abbey movie, but that went nowhere, as the character didn't return in any capacity in the second film. However, West has already been confirmed to be returning for the final movie, meaning that he and Thomas will likely be happily together for the start of The Grand Finale. If Thomas wasn't going to return, then the assumption would be that he was happy simply living in America. His return alongside Guy is essentially confirmation that they are making their relationship work after A New Era's ending.

What Will Thomas' Downton Abbey 3 Story Be?

There Are A Few Directions The Filmmakers Could Go

As Thomas' A New Era story seemed to close the book on his journey, his return to the franchise raises plenty of questions about what his role will be in the film. Since he moved to the US, he wouldn't be able to just pop into the Abbey whenever he wanted. He would need a good reason to do so. The simplest explanation would be that he and Guy are just visiting the Abbey for some reason, presumably due to whatever the central driving force behind The Grand Finale's plot is.

Another interesting, but similar, idea would be that some of the people from Downton are visiting Thomas in America, and they have a few scenes there. That would probably be less likely, seeing as the supposedly final film in the franchise is certainly going to mostly focus on the Abbey itself. Nevertheless, it would be interesting to see some characters removed from their comfortable surroundings and visit Thomas in an entirely new place. No matter how Thomas and Guy return in Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, simply seeing them together again would be a great payoff to his character.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is set to release in theaters on September 12, 2025.