The Crown: Imelda Staunton Set to Replace Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth

Olivia Colman just took over from Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II on Netflix's The Crown, but the series is already lining up her replacement.

The Daily Mail is reporting that Imelda Staunton has signed on to play the iconic character during the fifth and sixth seasons of the global smash.

Colman is set to play the role for one more season, the fourth, which is currently in production for a 2020 launch.

News of a third actress taking on the role is no surprise. The series famously refreshes its cast to show the change in time.

This is thanks to each season of the series taking place over a decade. The producers opted to cast different actors as opposed to using CGI to age the original cast.

Despite the speculation about the casting, Netflix has yet to renew the series for a fifth season. For now, the only guaranteed season is the fourth.

Staunton is probably best known for her role of Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter franchise, but she has also had roles in the likes of Vera Drake, Maleficent, and Paddington.

Staunton scored an Oscar nomination for her acting in Vera Drake.

She most recently appeared in the movie of Downton Abbey, which released this September. It was a box office success, and also garnered strong reviews.

Staunton is just one of the new faces signed up to appear on the series in the future. Gillian Anderson was recently confirmed to star as UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Newcomer Emma Corrin is on board to play young Diana Spencer, aka Princess Diana.