LONDON – Reports that Meghan Markle had been in talks to join Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen sparked plenty of discussion at the Netflix series’ season two world premiere on Sept 2, with lead actor Theo James saying he was “intrigued” by the speculation.

While Breaking Bad star Giancarlo Esposito said someone with such a high profile could be “a great plus or a great negative”, Hugh Bonneville dismissed the reports as “a genius piece of marketing”.

“I’d suggested Keir Starmer for the role, but nobody seemed to take an interest,” the Downton Abbey actor quipped.

Reports in late August had linked Markle to a role in season three of the crime drama shortly after she and Prince Harry announced plans to return to Britain. However, subsequent media reports suggested the proposal had been dropped amid a “backlash” to the speculation.

Series co-writer and executive producer Matthew Read pointed out that Ritchie has “a great tradition of casting people from unexpected places”, adding the level of interest in potential cast members demonstrated how invested audiences have become in the show.

Following the success of