Jinkx Monsoon is coming to Doctor Who as a powerful (and potentially musical) new villain. Monsoon is an American drag queen best known for winning season 5 of RuPaul’s Drag Race and season 7 of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars. While they predominantly have appeared on reality TV, they also have several acting credits to their name with appearances in Blue Bloods and Happiest Season. On April 3, 2023, it was announced that Monsoon had nabbed a “major role” in Doctor Who season 14.
Few details were revealed about Monsoon’s role at the time, other than that they would be portraying a major villain in the series. Russell T. Davies also released a statement expressing excitement for Monsoon’s role, stating, “In a galaxy of comets and supernovas, here comes the biggest star of all. Jinkx Monsoon is on a collision course with the TARDIS, and Doctor Who will never be the same again.”
Unfortunately, it might be a while before Monsoon’s official role is revealed, as season 14 isn’t expected to debut until 2024. Before the new season kicks off, the three-episode Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Special will air in November 2023, featuring David Tennant and Catherine Tate. However, season 14 filming is already underway, so viewers were able to get a glimpse of Monsoon’s costume recently, which raised speculation about their role.
Jinkx Monsoon’s Doctor Who role, explained
Monsoon took to Twitter to share a first look at their character in costume. The costume gave off the perfect balance of eccentric and sinister vibes, boding well for the character’s villain potential on the show. Additionally, the costume is one of the most vibrant and creative that we’ve seen in a while on Doctor Who. The bright orange hairdo and matching eyeshadow, exaggerated eyebrows, and stiff collared cape is a reminder that we really haven’t had many well-dressed villains on the show as of late. What sticks out the most in the costume, though, is that the lapels and inside of the cape have a piano key design.
Their costume seems to suggest that they are a music-themed villain. We’re not exactly sure what this means, but some social media users theorized it could hint at a musical number or an entire musical episode for Doctor Who season 14. Musicals are really becoming more popular lately, sneaking into shows like The Boys and rumored to be a component of The Marvels. So it wouldn’t be too far out there if Doctor Who decided to integrate some music, too. Monsoon is also a singer with two studio albums to their name, and they’re currently playing Mama Morton in Chicago on Broadway, which further raises suspicions of Monsoon playing a musical role.
While a musical episode could happen, it definitely seems like Monsoon is gearing up for a lot more than just one episode. In addition to reportedly playing a “major role,” Monsoon’s character has been called “The Doctor’s most powerful enemy.” They also dropped some hints about the depth of their role, telling Pride:
“I was saying to the director yesterday, the role that I’m playing, it’s like everything I ever dreamed about doing as an actor in one character. It’s insane. It’s like all of my actor fantasies have been rolled into one character, and now I get to do it all on a show that I love, written by a prolific writer, a voice of our generation who has written so many astounding things.”
It certainly seems that Monsoon may be around for a large portion of season 14 rather than just one episode. Their costume really could hint at almost anything—a musical episode of Doctor Who, a villain whose weapon of choice is music, or maybe just a villain with a great piano theme that accompanies their appearance. However, the final product of a mixture of villainy, power, music, Doctor Who, and Monsoon is one that we can’t wait to see.
(featured image: BBC)
