In The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, Bernard the elf does not appear at all and is never mentioned in the story, so the movie itself gives no in‑universe explanation for what happened to him.
In the movie’s story
Within the actual plot of The Santa Clause 3, Bernard is simply absent from the North Pole and from all events involving Scott Calvin, Jack Frost, and the other elves. The film focuses instead on Curtis as head elf and never addresses Bernard’s whereabouts or role, leaving his fate open and unexplained on screen.
Behind‑the‑scenes reason
David Krumholtz, who played Bernard in the first two films, did not return for The Santa Clause 3. He has said that a mix of scheduling issues and feeling that the third film’s script reduced the importance and quality of Bernard’s character led him to decline the role, which is why the character disappears from the film series at that point.
