Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

After many reports that Imelda Staunton (A Confession) will succeed Olivia Colman in The Crown for seasons five and six, it’s now been denied by Netflix. The Daily Mail was the first to report the story. Apparently, Staunton is ‘in talks’ for the role, but nothing has been confirmed.

A Netflix spokesperson has said: ‘We are currently filming season 4 of The Crown but have not commissioned any further seasons as yet, therefore any news on casting remains pure speculation.’

Regardless, we would love to see her play the later-life Queen Elizabeth II. Given her role as the tyrannical Dolores Umbridge in Harry Potter, we can already imagine her costume...

Seasons five and six will be the last of the series; so, if Staunton is cast, she’ll be the conclusive Queen. Before Colman, Claire Foy was cast to Emmy-winning acclaim as the young Elizabeth. No word yet on who else might be joining the cast for the final two seasons, and we probably won’t hear anything until next year.

In season four, Gillian Anderson has been confirmed to play Margaret Thatcher and Emma Corrin will take on Lady Diana Spencer, Prince Charles’s first wife.