According to the Hollywood Reporter Paul Bethany is very likely to play Prince Philip in season 3 of Netflix’s The Crown, replacing Matt Smith.
If he does, he will play opposite Olivia Colman who will portray Queen Elizabeth II. The cast rotation is an attempt to reflect onscreen the time gap as well as the aging of the characters. Out are Claire Foy and Vanessa Kirby, in are Colman and Helena Bonham Carter who has been cast to portray Her Royal Majesty’s Princess Margaret.
After Colman’s casting was confirmed by the streaming giant, the Golden Globe winner talked to the BBC about replacing Foy and said: “I think Claire Foy is an absolute genius–she’s an incredibly hard act to follow. I’m basically going to re-watch every episode and copy her.”
In the past, Smith teased that he knows who his replacement will be, telling Seth Meyers, “If it’s the person it could be, I was just totally flattered I thought, ‘How marvelous.’ If it’s the person I think it might be, and he’s incredibly handsome as well. I have morphed into someone far better looking than I.”
The Crown has won three Emmys, two Golden Globes, two BAFTA Awards and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Season two dropped last month on Netflix and season three is expected to drop in 2019.
