**Warning: Contains spoilers for Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.**

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No Bridget Jones fan was quite prepared for the realisation that Mark Darcy was no longer with Bridget. And that wasn't down to them falling into a bitter divorce, or a wandering eye, Mark Darcy had died - and it was devastating.

In Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, audiences watched on as Bridget was a single mother of two, and learning to live life without Mark, all with a little help from her friends and the loveable rogue Daniel Cleaver. (Yes, he's alive now.)

For many fans, Mark Darcy's absence came as a big surprise, especially given Colin Firth did feature in the trailer. But for those familiar with the book, it would have been all too clear what was to come.

So, what exactly happened to Mark Darcy? Read on to find out more about Colin Firth's absence in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.

What happened to Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones?

Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones and Colin Firth as Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones's Diary, standing close together outside and wrapped up in coats.
Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones and Colin Firth as Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones's Diary. NBCUniversal

As the film explains, Mark Darcy died while on a humanitarian aid mission in Sudan.

Bridget and her loved ones get together to remember Mark on the fourth anniversary of his death, as the loving mother and her children navigate the grief of losing him.

As she goes through newspaper clippings and broadcasts, it is revealed that when negotiating the release of aid workers who had been taken hostage, he was killed in a landmine explosion.

Is Colin Firth in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy?

Renee Zellweger and Colin Firth holding hands as they stand opposite each other.
Renée Zellweger and Colin Firth filming Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. Antony Jones/UK Press via Getty Images

Yes, Colin Firth makes brief cameos in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.

While Firth appeared in stills for the new movie, he does not have a leading role like the past three films.

At the beginning of the film, it appears as though Mark is meeting with Bridget as they go for dinner with their friends, but it wasn't as it seemed as Mark was a ghost.

In several scenes, Mark returns but only as a ghost. In one truly heartwarming yet tear-jerking scene, Bridget and Mark's son sings a rendition of I'd Do Anything from Oliver! at his school's Christmas concert.

When the audience goes to stand and cheer, Mark appears at the side, beaming at his son.

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Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is out now in UK cinemas.

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Authors

Katelyn MensahSenior Entertainment Writer

Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.

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