Key detail in Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy trailer devastates fans

The first official trailer for Mad About The Boy has finally dropped – but one major detail has horrified fans.

Bridget Jones fans have been left reeling following the release of the trailer for the fourth film – which confirmed the death of her husband, Mark Darcy.

The first look at the popular franchise’s long-awaited next chapter, Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy, has finally been unveiled, with Bridget (played by Renée Zellweger) referred to as a “widow” right at the start.

Given that she married human rights lawyer Mark (Colin Firth) and the pair welcomed a child in the previous film, the news came as a crushing blow to some fans.

(Although it must be said: anyone who read Bridget Jones author Helen Fielding’s 2013 book by the same name was braced for what was coming).

The trailer reveals Bridget is widowed – and has a new love interest.

“What do you MEAN there is a fourth Bridget Jones movie releasing soon, and they KILLED MR. DARCY?!” one horrified fan wrote on social media.

“I was not prepared to cry over the death of Mr Darcy in the new Bridget Jones movie; IS MARK DARCY DEAD???” asked another.

One user admitted: “My heart sank seeing that Mr Darcy died in the new Bridget Jones trailer. Why couldn’t they have their happily ever after?”

In Mad About The Boy, Bridget appears to have a new, unexpected love interest: 29-year-old hunk Roxster, played by White Lotus and One Day star, Leo Woodall.

Mark and Bridget’s love story was central to the franchise.

She also has welcomed a second child, presumably with Mark, leaving her as a widowed mother-of-two.

Returning once again for the final chapter is Bridget’s love rat on/off love interest, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), along with her tight-knit long-time friends Shazzer, Jude and Tom (Sally Phillips, Shirley Henderson and James Callis) and gynaecologist Dr Rawlings (Emma Thompson).

Love Actually star Chiwetel Ejiofor joins the story for the first time as Bridget’s son’s “rational-to-a-fault” science teacher, Mr Wallaker.

Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy will be released in Australian cinemas on February 13.