Gillian Anderson has officially joined season four of The Crown as Margaret Thatcher

It's official: Gillian Anderson has joined season four of The Crown as Margaret Thatcher.

The royal drama's official Twitter account took to Twitter this afternoon [September 7] to confirm the news. Speaking after the news was announced, Anderson said:

"I am so excited to be joining the cast and crew of The Crown and to have the opportunity to portray such a complicated and controversial woman. "Thatcher was undoubtedly formidable but I am relishing exploring beneath the surface and, dare I say, falling in love with the icon who, whether we loved or despised, defined an era."

In the same announcement, it was confirmed that season four of The Crown is also now in production. Season three of The Crown will land on Netflix on November 17, 2019. Olivia Colman and Tobias Menzies have been confirmed to be taking over the roles of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip from Claire Foy and Matt Smith. Meanwhile, Helena Bonham Carter will be stepping into the role of Princess Margaret, which was previously played by Vanessa Kirby. Josh O'Connor will be playing Prince Charles, while Emma Corrin will be playing  Lady Diana Spencer. Speaking about the recasting of the roles, Menzies said he reckons it will be a "different show" when season three does begin. "I think it will be different - I think it will be a different show. But I really hoping audiences will fall in love with us lot, too," he said on Jo Good's BBC radio show earlier this year.