We promise this is not an April Fools Joke! Outlander stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan have teased the return of two fan favorites to Season 8 of the Starz series and we couldn’t be more excited! Earlier today — yes, April 1, 2024 — the official Outlander Instagram account posted a behind-the-scenes video feting the fact that Balfe, Heughan, and their pals on the Scotland-set show have just wrapped the first week of Outlander Season 8 filming. During the video, however, Balfe and Heughan revealed that two “old” cast members have also returned for the Starz show’s eighth and final season…
**Potential spoilers for Outlander Season 8 ahead**
About halfway through the IG video, Balfe and Heughan shift the perspective from selfie mode to reveal who is standing over their shoulders backstage: Marsali (Lauren Lyle) and Fergus (César Domboy)!
That’s right: Lauren Lyle and César Domboy are returning as Jamie’s married stepdaughter Marsali and adopted French ward Fergus.
If you watch the above Instagram post — complete with confirmation in the comments that this is “(NOT April Fool’s, I promise!)” — you’ll see Balfe and Heughan start the video describing their first week is “fun” and “refreshing,” thanks to new cast members still being held under lock and key.
“You know what else we have?” Balfe says. “We have some old cast.”
“Do we?” Heughan asks.
“Mmm,” Balfe replies. “Should we say ‘Hi’ to them?”
We then see the camera pan to reveal Lauren Lyle and César Domboy clapping hands before saying hello.
“I thought we got rid of you,” Heughan teased. “WE GOT RID OF YOU!”
“Where did you go?” Balfe asks in a sing-song voice. “Where have you guys been?” (BritBox fans will know that Lyle at least has been starring in Karen Pirie.)
“Touch stones and now we’re back,” Domboy says, referring to the show’s famous magical time portal stones.
Lyle has a quibble though. “I heard you say, ‘older cast,'” prompting Heughan and Balfe to make fun of how the years have passed since the show debuted nearly ten years ago.
Outlander fans will note that we haven’t seen head nor hide of either Marsali or hubby Fergus since Season 6. The two set off for New Bern, North Carolina to forge a new start. The fact that the two characters are returning for the eighth and final season of Outlander suggests that the show will be weaving in storylines from both Diana Gabaldon’s ongoing books as well as picking up the loose threads from past seasons fans want to see wrapped up.
Does this also mean Claire and Jamie’s upcoming time in Scotland will be short lived?
Outlander Season 8 is in production right now, but Outlander Season 7 won’t return to Starz until November 2024.