Has ‘The Crown’ found its older Prince Philip for the new season?

A new name has been revealed as the likely contender to take over the role of Prince Philip in The Crown.

It was announced last October that Broadchurch star Olivia Colman will be taking over from Wolf Hall actress Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth when Netflix’s award-winning period drama returns.

The Daily Mail now reports that The Da Vinci Code star Paul Bettany is being lined up to replace Matt Smith as the Queen’s husband in Season 3 and Season 4, although a deal is not yet believed to be confirmed.

Born in London, the 46-year-old actor is best known for his roles in Captain America: Civil War, A Beautiful Mind, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World and Wimbledon.

Smith has previously hinted that he knows who his replacement will be, commenting: “If it’s the person it could be, I was just totally flattered I thought, ‘How marvelous.'”

The Crown series tells the story of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom.

Writer Peter Morgan’s plan is for the biographical series to run for six seasons and 60 episodes in total, with an entirely new cast taking over in Season 3 to better represent the main figures as they age.

It is thought that the cast will then again be replaced with older actors in Season 5.

Matt Smith is set play Charles Manson next in a new movie about the cult leader from the makers of American Psycho.

The Crown debuted in November 2016 and ten new episodes premiered on the streaming service last month.