The Crown Taps MCU Star To Play Princess Diana

Netflix's critically acclaimed British royalty drama The Crown has always been a particularly tricky show to cast. Its characters are well-known historical figures whose faces and basic mannerisms are known to all — and since the show spans such a huge amount of time, the major characters have to be repeatedly recast in order to convey the passage of time.

Despite (or because of) this, the show's casting has always been a beacon of inspiration. For instance, Claire Foy portrayed Queen Elizabeth II for the first two seasons of The Crown, the Academy Award-winning Olivia Colman took over for seasons 3 and 4, and the legendary Imelda Staunton (Dolores Umbridge in the Harry Potter movies) is set to take over after that. The Crown season 4 will continue this tradition of recasting figures — which its done with the help of Helena Bonham Carter, Charles Dance, and more – with the addition of The X-Files' Gillian Anderson, who will portray the "Iron Lady" Margaret Thatcher, and Emma Corrin (who played Esme Winikus on Pennyworth) as Princess Diana.

Of course, The Crown is already looking past season 4. Netflix just announced that The Crown has cast Corrin's successor in the role of Princess Diana for The Crown seasons 5 and 6 (via Entertainment Weekly). During the last two seasons of The Crown, Princess Diana will be portrayed by Elizabeth Debicki — Marvel Cinematic Universe star who's more than capable of doing the role justice. 

You'd think that playing arguably the most famous real-life princess of modern times would be as classy a role as an actress can get. For Debicki, it certainly will be — though it comes after a role that saw her literally covered from head to toe in gold. Marvel loyals know Debicki as Ayesha, the Golden High Priestess of the Sovereign, from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. 

In the sequel movie, Debicki's Ayesha hired the titular heroes to protect her planet's Anulax batteries from the beast known as the Abilisk. Though the Guardians were able to fulfill the contract, they ended up on very bad terms with Ayesha since Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) immediately stole a number of the batteries. Ayesha's various plans to get back at the Guardians ultimately fell apart, but we haven't seen the last of her yet; she's still set to appear in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, where looks like she'll have the ultra-powerful Adam Warlock in her corner.

Though Ayesha is a priestess instead of a royal, her regal manner is more than enough proof that Debicki can handle the stiff court proceedings the role of Princess Diana surely requires. As for the more human moments of the "People's Princess," Debicki is continuously proving her acting chops in shows and movies like The Night Manager, where she stole the show as Jed Marshall and The Great Gatsby, where she portrayed the golf star Jordan Baker. Debicki will next appear in Christopher Nolan's Tenet, in which she plays the role of Kat.

All things considered, fans should be excited to see Debicki bring her A-game to The Crown. For her part, Debicki is genuinely thrilled: "Princess Diana's spirit, her words and her actions live in the hearts of so many. It is my true privilege and honor to be joining this masterful series, which has had me absolutely hooked from episode one."