The latest doctor who may already be done with the role

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Important takeaways

  • The latest Disney+ deal increased Doctor Who's reach, hinting at an exciting future for the franchise.
  • Rumors surrounding Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor's future create uncertainty about the programme's direction.
  • The possibility of David Tennant's return signals potential regression to safe, original narrative paths.



The Doctor Who The franchise seems to have recently received its latest and most experimental Doctor yet, but a recent incident and months of rumors seem to point to this iteration of the iconic character having to change his look one more time going forward.

Doctor Who has been a paragon of British television science fiction for decades, with the miracle of the regeneration of the universe allowing a revolving door of talented, powerful stars to take on the title role of the Doctor, an alien Time Lord who has adventures through time and space. In a new move to spread the ongoing flagship show to a wider audience, Disney picked up the slack and put the show on its Disney+ streaming service for audiences outside the BBC's UK base. This partnership and expanded reach showed that there is much to look forward to in terms of the future Doctor Whowith Davies even recently weighing in on a potentially awesome sci-fi crossover alongside Star Trek, an idea that has already been playtested in their respective mobile games.


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While Davies 2021 returns to Doctor Who was heralded as very impactful at a time when the iconic IP could have done better, it seems there may still be some issues with the show. Recently, current Dr. Ncuti Gatwa continued The Graham Norton Show and explained, “We did the second series this year, the Christmas special is coming and we're shooting a third series next year.” While this was generally seen as positive news when the press briefings were released, eyebrows began to be raised when the show aired, with comments changing to instead say, “We finished the second season earlier this year, we have the Christmas episode coming out…at Christmas…but it has been fantastic.” While Deadline was able to dispel the rumor mill by confirming that the change was not commissioned by the BBC but rather an editorial choice, it all seems to suggest that Gatwa's relatively recent ascension to the role appears to be coming to an end.


The problem comes from the fact that a third series for the Fifteenth Doctor was already looking unlikely for a few reasons, and that the BBC distanced itself from his comments. “As we've said before, the decision on season three will be made after season two has aired, and as always, we don't comment on speculation,” a production spokesperson confirmed in a statement. This echoes the sentiment expressed in the last issue of Doctor Who Journal of franchise chief Russell T. Davies, who went further to insist that it has always been done that way. Disney has been rumored to be canceling Doctor Who after season 2 due to its failure to bring in the kind of viewership the company was looking for when they struck the deal with the BBC to take on Doctor Who for the US and other international markets, and these whispers have echoed in some significant circles. Taking these rumors with the changes, it's hard to see any good signs for Gatwa's doctors.


The most unfavorable factor for Gatwa is the built-in transition tool that his bi-generation left the creative team. With the ever-beloved David Tennant already in the show's current storyline, Doctor Who could easily revert to what worked before and take another step in the direction of a worrying trend that the MCU seems to have borrowed from the franchise with the return of Robert Downey Jr. While many fans would be happy to see Tennant centered again, it would be a bad sign of health for the franchise as a whole and a white flag of sorts for the current series of trying new things with the character, for better or for worse.


While Doctor Who appears to be returning to the tradition of the year-end Christmas special and has made many promises about the quality and appeal of the second series with Gatwa, it is unclear what the odds are of the show doing better with fans. While Gatwa's tenure as the Doctor hasn't been as badly received as Jodie Whitaker's run, it's hard not to see a downward trend in the franchise similar to the struggles the MCU and DCEU have encountered in recent years. Fans will have to wait and see if the Doctor can best this tough patch or if he has to regenerate one more time.

The Doctor Who franchise is available to stream on Disney+ in the US and other markets outside the UK.

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