Summary
With excitement riding high in the lead-up to newDoctor Whoepisodes for the first time in over a year, it’s only fitting that the hype starts to crank up a bit. Ncuti Gatwa, who will play the newest incarnation of series star The Doctor, now has a substantial tease to help that train keep on chugging.
In the British cultural tradition, introducing a newDoctor Whois about on par with electing a new Pope to many. But this time, things will be a bit different.10th Doctor Who actor David Tennanthas shockingly returned to the role in the unprecedented move of playing yet another incarnation of the character despite already appearing as an earlier version. Gatwa will take over the role after Tennant’s brief trip down memory lane. But the 10th Doctor won’t be the only familiar face in the new stories.
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Gatwa recently accepted one ofGQ’s Men of the Year awards, and theSex Educationbreakout star had an interesting tidbit to share about his upcoming run onDoctor Who. “I shouldn’t say this,” he said as he accepted the stage fromSex Educationco-star Jodie Turner-Smith, “but there was a scene that I somehow shot with the First Doctor, William Hartnell. We ended up in the same scene together and to see that history, and now a Black man as The Doctor…,” he then paused as the audience showed its appreciation. “I’m very very, very grateful.” Even now, he admitted he still finds it hard to believe given all the obstacles he faces as an actor.
“I’m a good actor [but] this is a 60-year-long British institution and I’m a Black man, so I never thought that I’d be chosen to front something that is basically the heart of the BBC. Your existence when you’re a marginalised person is political. So you, and the world, are aware of that, and people make decisions accordingly.”
This is particularly significant in Gatwa’s mention of Hartnell, the original actor behind the now legendary reincarnating character. The First Doctor has made relatively recent appearances inDoctor Who, most recently in 2022 as part of Jodie Whittaker’s final episode/special as the Thirteenth Doctor. But David Bradley has played thisclassicDoctor Whocharacterin most of the First Doctor’s appearances over most of the past decade after Hartnell’s passing in 1975. So the fact that the actor was specifically mentioned could mean some interesting film trickery is afoot.
Aside fromSex Education, Gatwa starred as one of the Kens in 2023’sincredibly good and incredibly quotableBarbie. Between those two substantial roles and his upcoming tenure onDoctor Who, it’s clear that this is his year. While Whittaker made history as the first woman to play The Doctor (eventually joined during her tenure by actress Jo Martin as the Fugitive Doctor, making history as the first non-white person to play the role), Gatwa is the first Black actor and the first openly queer actor to lead the series. The character himself will also be the first gay Doctor, according to Neil Patrick Harris, who is set to star in upcoming episodes ofDoctor Who.
So there’s much to look forward to regarding upcomingDoctor Whomedia. But now, it seems Gatwa and everyone else involved want to cram as much as possible into things going forward. With beloved showrunner Russell T. Davies returning to the show as well, it looks like the name of the game is making the fans happy. With a franchise this big, that’s a tall order. But if anybody can do it, it’s The Doctor.
The 2023Doctor Whospecials are set to begin airing on November 25th. They can be streamed on Disney Plus in the US.
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