'The Crown' Season 3: Fans miss Claire Foy and find it difficult to accept Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II

The cast reshuffle seems to have broken many hearts as the actors had become distinctive 'faces' of the British royal family.
PUBLISHED NOV 18, 2019

'The Crown' made a comeback on Netflix with the hotly-anticipated third season and millions of viewers tuned in to watch. Bidding goodbye to actors like Claire Foy, Matt Smith, Elleen Atkins, Pip Torrens, and Vanessa Kirby, the cast has been revamped to play the character's older years and the reign from 1964 to 1970.

The move seems to have broken many hearts as the actors had become distinctive 'faces' of the British royal family. Several fans complained about the cast reshuffle after struggling to imagine Olivia Colman in Foy's place as Queen Elizabeth II. 

One viewer posted, "I feel like it was a mistake to change the cast in #TheCrown I'm struggling to adjust to the change without Claire Foy." Another one wrote: "I'm still so mad that they replaced Claire Foy and Vanessa Kirby. They were just phenomenal."

Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II in 'The Crown'. (Netflix)

"No one shall ever have such a decidedly perfect "Oh really" face as Claire Foy's Lilibet does," one tweet read and another said, "Ok she's brilliant...but I miss Claire Foy (and Matt Smith) so much!!!! #TheCrown." Another viewer wrote: "First scene, anddddd I miss #ClaireFoy already. P.S. Colman is a good actress, but I am finding it hard to accept her as my queen in The Crown. Wish me luck. P.P.S. Too grateful for Carter as Margaret though. I know I’m going to love her!"

Many complained about getting the physical attributes of the Queen right too, especially her blue eyes. "Somehow still bothered that Olivia Coleman (sic) and Helena Bonham Carter didn’t wear blue contact lenses. That’s really bad for continuity especially when you can’t forget Claire Foy and Vanessa Kirby’s mesmerizing blue eyes #TheCrown," one fan penned down.

Queen Elizabeth's transition from a young woman to a settled sovereign. (Netflix)

However, many others seem to have accepted the transition of the Queen from a young woman to "old bat." "That transition from Claire Foy to Olivia Colman... seamless. Could not have been handled any better. As much as I miss Foy, Colman is (predictably) outstanding in the role," one viewer wrote and another said, "My takeaway from the first episode of The Crown is definitely worth the two year wait. Olivia has a hint of Claire Foy in her voice. Tobias sounds uncanny as the real Phillip. And as per, Helena killed her scenes."

Taking the role after Claire Foy, Colman had said in a release, "I was utterly gripped watching it. A proper 'just one more' feeling. I think Claire Foy is an absolute genius. She's an incredibly hard act to follow. I'm basically going to rewatch every episode and copy her."

Early reviews are calling Colman a 'legend' and it may take a little time, but onlookers may soon adjust to the new Queen!

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