Is Meghan Markle Returning to Acting in 2026? Prince Harry, Wife Allegedly 'Out of Options' After Netflix Split

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were reportedly released by Netflix earlier this month, prompting calls from her former Suits co-star for the Duchess of Sussex to revive her acting career in 2026 as their media ventures face setbacks. The couple, now seemingly without lucrative streaming options, face mounting pressure after their £80 million deal faltered, with insiders claiming the platform is 'done' with their repackaged royal tales.

Markle and Prince Harry signed the blockbuster Netflix deal in 2020, shortly after their dramatic Megxit from the royal family. What began as a golden opportunity for tell-all documentaries like Harry & Meghan had evolved into a 'first-look' arrangement by last year, but flops such as her lifestyle show With Love left executives weary.

Netflix bosses, according to Variety sources, grew tired of the duo's habit of recycling the same grievances about palace life, yielding diminishing returns, while no scripted hits emerged from Meghan's side despite big promises.

Netflix Nightmare Unravels

News of the split hit like a cold splash amid whispers that the Sussexes are scrambling for Plan B. Eric Roberts, the grizzled Suits veteran who played her on-screen father-in-law, did not mince words at a glitzy gala this month. 'She will come back,' he told the Daily Mail, his voice carrying the gravelly certainty honed over decades in Hollywood.

His wife Eliza, a sharp-eyed casting director who has managed A-listers, piled on. 'It is time. And Meghan needs to come back to work. I feel like her whole family will support it, and she is amazing.'

Eliza went further than cheerleading, attributing the duchess's acting hiatus to royal prissiness and recalling how Rachel Zane's steamy courtroom scenes caused a stir at Buckingham Palace.

'Her role in Suits was very sexy,' Eliza said. 'Her making love with another man, that was just they've never seen anything like that. She worked so hard to get there. That was just too much.' It is a revealing aside, portraying Meghan as the rebel who traded passion projects for protocol, only to consider a comeback now that the royal spotlight has dimmed.

Roberts commented on the potential impact, calling it 'fantastic,' and Eliza agreed it would 'blow everybody's mind.' The image of Markle, 44 and still a tabloid magnet, returning to acting while Harry paces their Montecito mansion seems to set the tabloids alight.

Acting Rumours

This is not idle gossip; there is a hint that Meghan is already testing the waters. Last year, paparazzi photographed her on the set of Close Personal Friends, an upcoming romcom starring Brie Larson, Lily Collins, Jack Quaid and Henry Golding. Sources described a brief cameo as herself, relaxed and chatty, introducing herself to the crew like old times.

'She has a small part. She seemed very relaxed and happy,' one insider told People. There has been no official comment from her camp, so the report should be taken with a pinch of salt, but it suggests she may be testing the waters in the industry again.

Rewind to Suits, where Markle starred as paralegal Rachel Zane from 2011 to 2017, balancing power suits and power plays until her engagement to Harry prompted an early exit. She poured her pre-royal energy into the role, living in a 'little house' with a closet squeezed into the bathroom, as she once recalled.

Now, with Netflix pulling the plug, no more fat cheques for half-baked ventures, the Sussexes face a pivot. Their lawyer dismissed talk of frosty meetings with co-CEO Ted Sarandos, insisting communication lines remain open, but the downgrade to a first-look deal signals waning enthusiasm.

Critics sense desperation. Netflix reportedly held over $10 million in unsold merchandise from Meghan's 'As Ever' lifestyle venture, while her cookery clips barely registered on viewer charts.

Harry, ever the loyal partner, continues with polo documentaries and Invictus stories, but without the streaming safety net, 2026 could push Meghan back into the spotlight. Hollywood is fickle, and it remains to be seen whether studios will take a chance on a duchess with baggage.