'Bridget Jones 3' Casting News: Is Patrick Dempsey Trading in Meredith Grey?

Patrick Dempsey is moving from one strong female straight to another. In his first big movie role since his abrupt Grey's Anatomy exit earlier this year, McDreamy is swapping out Ellen Pompeo's Meredith Grey for Renee Zellweger's Bridget Jones, playing a mystery man in Bridget Jones 3. Deadline has reported the casting news that Dempsey is in final negotiations to join the Bridget Jones's Baby film and while his exact role is yet to be confirmed, rumor has it that Dempsey's character could be a potential rival love interest for Zelwegger's ditsy Bridget.

Colin Firth will also be reprising his role as love interest Mark Darcy and while plot details are very much under wraps, it is thought that Dempsey's character will rival Firth's Darcy in the same vein as Hugh Grant's Daniel Cleaver did in the two previous installments.

If you were worried about not getting much of a Colin Firth fix in this newest installment, fear not, the inspiration for the film is believed to be based on Bridget Jones author, Helen Fielding's, columns rather than the most recent Bridget novel, Mad About The Boy, where Firth's character Darcy died and Bridget was left alone raising a couple of kids.

Ellen Pompeo, for one, sounds very much like she won't be sad that Dempsey has well and truly moved on, unlike the 108,000 fans who have signed a Change.org petition in the hopes of reviving Patrick Dempsey's character on Shonda Rhimes' hit show.

In a candid round-table discussion, Pompeo pointed out that she was personally affronted by the fans idea that Grey's couldn't continue without McDreamy.

Referencing the Viola Davis and Kerry Washington's characters Annalise Keating and Olivia Pope on How to Get Away With Murder and Scandal (Rhimes' other shows) she made her point (via Entertainment Weekly): "Let's keep it really real for a second and say this is really difficult for my ego. It's okay! We all have one! Why can't I just be the lead of the show the way Annalise and Olivia can? Why can't I be on that poster by myself?"

Does Pompeo have a point? Are you still mourning the loss of Dempsey's Derek Shepherd? Are you excited to see him in Bridget Jones 3? Tell us in the comments; we want to know what you think.