It appears that The Crown is one step closer to casting its next Prince Philip: Paul Bettany is reportedly in talks with the show’s producers to take on the royal role for seasons three and four.
According to a report in the Daily Mail, the British actor has ‘emerged as the leading contender’ to replace former Doctor Who star Matt Smith, who played the Prince in his twenties and thirties.
The Mail added that ‘Andy Harries and Suzanne Mackie, two of The Crown’s senior executive producers, met with Bettany’s agents at a Hollywood club where they discussed the actor’s availability to attend rehearsals in June, and whether he could film from July until January or February next year.'
NOW READ: The Cast Of The Crown Versus Their Real-Life Counterparts
the crown characters versus real life slider
1 of 26Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
Prince Philip actually only became a Prince of the United Kingdom in 1957, when it was announced that he'd be known as His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
2 of 26Played by Matt Smith
Matt Smith's Philip becomes more of a central focus for The Crown's second season, which explores the Duke's place in the royal family while hinting at his rumoured infidelity.
3 of 26Played by Claire Foy
*The Crown *marks the second time that Claire Foy has played a Queen: she previously starred as Anne Boleyn in the BBC's adaptation of Wolf Hall.
4 of 26Queen Elizabeth II...
Season two sees Elizabeth more established in her role as Queen, but having to contend with a tumultuous political climate and tensions in her marriage.
5 of 26Played by Vanessa Kirby
Prior to playing Princess Margaret, Vanessa balanced stage work with credits in film and TV productions like Great Expectations, *About Time *and Me Before You. She'll next be seen opposite Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible 6.
6 of 26Princess Margaret
Widely perceived as the Queen's 'wilder' sister, Margaret associated with a more bohemian circle in the 60s and 70s.
7 of 26Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother...
Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, was widely considered among the most popular members of the royal family, and was active in public life even as she turned 100.
8 of 26Played by Victoria Hamilton
Fan of Doctor Foster? Victoria Hamilton's turn as Gemma's neighbour Anna was certainly a contrast to her royal role as the Queen Mum.
9 of 26Played by Jared Harris
The son of actor Richard (aka Dumbledore from The Philosopher's Stone), Jared Harris' screen credits include *Mad Men, Sherlock Holmes *and Lincoln.
10 of 26King George VI...
Known as Bertie to his family, George VI never expected to become King. Upon the abdication of his older brother, however, the throne was his.
11 of 26Played by Matthew Goode
Matthew Goode is something of a period drama mainstay, having previously appeared in the likes of *Downton Abbey, Brideshead Revisited *and The Imitation Game.
12 of 26Antony Armstrong-Jones...
Antony Armstrong-Jones had a notoriously tempestuous relationship with Princess Margaret, but even after their 1978 divorce, he continued as the royal family's photographer of choice.
13 of 26Played by Jodi Balfour
South African actress Jodi Balfour most recently starred as DI Elaine Shephard in the BBC's police procedural Rellik; prior to that, her biggest role was in Canadian TV drama Bomb Girls .
14 of 26Played by Michael C. Hall
American actor Michael C. Hall is best known for his roles as the serial killer of the title in *Dexter *and as a mortician in *Six Feet Under. *
15 of 26Played by Alex Jennings
Alex Jennings is another *Crown *star to have previously played a different member of the royal family on screen: he starred as Prince Charles opposite Helen Mirren in The Queen.
16 of 26Played by Lia Williams
Alongside her TV roles, actress Lia Williams has starred in a number of plays, directed short films and runs a production company with her husband.
17 of 26Played by Ben Miles
Ben Miles has previously appeared in shows like Cold Feet, *Coupling *and the BBC's Shakespeare adaptation, *The Hollow Crown. *
18 of 26Jackie Kennedy...
*The Crown *marks the second screen incarnation of former First Lady Jackie Kennedy of 2017: Natalie Portman earned an Oscar nod for unconventional biopic Jackie earlier this year.
19 of 26Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor...
Upon her third marriage, American socialite Wallis Simpson became the Duchess of Windsor, though she was never truly accepted by the royal family.
20 of 26The Duke of Windsor, formerly Edward VIII...
Britain was gripped by scandal - not to mention a constitutional crisis - when King Edward VIII proposed to Wallis Simpson, an American divorcée who was still technically married to her second husband.
21 of 26Group Captain Peter Townsend...
A royal equerry from 1944 to 1953, Peter Townsend's romance with Princess Margaret caused a scandal due to his being recently divorced from his wife.
22 of 26John F. Kennedy...
John F. Kennedy made just one state visit to Buckingham Palace during his presidency, which took place in the summer of 1961. The real life events form the subject of 'Dear Mrs President' in *The Crown's *second season.
23 of 26Prince Charles and Princess Anne...
Before Charles and Anne headed off to boarding school, they were educated by a governess at Buckingham Palace.
24 of 26Played by Billy Jenkins and Lyla Barrett-Rye
Billy has previous appeared in Channel 4's Humans, while Lyla played a younger version of Romola Garai's title character in a recent adaptation of Emma.
25 of 26Lord Mountbatten...
Philip's Uncle was born Prince Louis of Battenberg, a title which was dropped in anticipation of anti-German sentiment ahead of WWI. A descendent of Queen Victoria, he was also Elizabeth's second cousin once removed.
26 of 26Played by Greg Wise
You'll probably know Greg Wise for his role as the dashing but caddish Willoughby in the 1995 screen version of *Sense and Sensibility *(in which he starred opposite future wife Emma Thompson).
Bettany’s most visible role to date has perhaps come courtesy of Marvel’s juggernaut Avengers franchise, in which he plays the cyborg Vision alongside the likes of Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson and Chris Hemsworth. He is also known for his roles in A Knight’s Tale, The Young Victoria and M_aster and Commander_, and will have an as-yet-undisclosed part in the upcoming Star Wars spin-off Solo. He is married to the actress Jennifer Connelly, who he met while filming A Beautiful Mind.
Should his negotiations prove successful, Bettany would join Olivia Colman, who will take over the role of Queen Elizabeth from the Golden Globe-winning Claire Foy. The Broadchurch star is the only new cast member to have been officially confirmed, though an Instagram post showing season one and two star Vanessa Kirby with Helena Bonham Carter has been taken as proof that the actress is set to step into Princess Margaret’s shoes.
While we know very little about what is in store for season three of The Crown, we can expect an analysis of Margaret’s messy divorce from photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones, as well as an introduction to Prince Charles’ future mistress (then wife) Camilla Parker-Bowles. Per the Mail report, the show’s execs are busy casting the roles of the Prince, Camilla and Diana, Princess of Wales.