'House of Cards' season 5 casting news, updates: Oscar nominee Patricia Clarkson and Campbell Scott tapped for major roles; Mahershala Ali confirms exit from series

Two big names will be joining the upcoming fifth season of Netflix's acclaimed drama "House of Cards."

According to reports, the cutthroat political thriller will include Patricia Clarkson and Campbell Scott  in the upcoming season. It was revealed that the "Six Feet Under" actress and "Royal Pains" actor have both booked major mystery roles and are expected to be featured prominently. Unsurprisingly, Netflix declined to give details on the nature of their characters.

For Oscar nominee Clarkson, the said role marks her biggest TV acting stint since she starred in the 1996 show "Murder One. She also previously snagged two Emmy awards for her guest role on HBO's drama "Six Feet Under." Her other acting credits include roles in popular films including "Shutter Island, "The Green Mile" and "Friends With Benefits."

Meanwhile, Scott will also make his TV comeback after starring in several seasons of USA's "Royal Pains" and a guest role on FX's "Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll." His film acting credits include "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" and "The Exorcism of Emily Rose."

On other related news, Mahershala Ali confirmed last month that he won't be returning as Remy Danton on the show. "I just did my last season of 'House of Cards,' I'm no longer on the show," Ali told The Independent, adding that since he contractually moved out of the series, he was able to explore other opportunities and roles. The actor, who appeared in "House of Cards" for four seasons, most recently starred in Netflix's "Luke Cage" opposite Mike Colter as the villainous kingpin Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes.

Across its first four seasons, "House of Cards" has aired a total of 52 episodes. The streaming giant has yet to announce an official release date for season five, but in previous years, new episodes of the series have always premiered on Netflix around February or March.

The fifth season of "House of Cards" is expected to premiere early 2017.