Is Ncuti Gatwa leaving ‘Doctor Who’?
Ncuti Gatwa had some big shoes to fill after he took over for Doctor Who darling David Tennant in 2023. After his debut, Gatwa quickly became one of the most beloved Doctors and, you know what, he’s my favorite. I love him to pieces.
I was upset to learn Gatwa might be leaving Doctor Who… until I found out who the source of the rumor was. Spoiler alert: it’s The Sun. The Sun is… how can I put this for an American audience? The Sun is like Fox News but with an even more questionable reputation. Even among the right-wing no one particularly takes the “newspaper” seriously. When I was growing up it was noted for morally divisive pictures young girls and that was about it. Trash, trash, trash.
The rumor has taken off and now multiple well-respected British outlets (and GB News) are reporting that Gatwa’s time in the TARDIS is up. Can it be true? Well: let’s consider everything the Sun had to say. They claim that the show is being scrapped because of “an agenda” and “wokery.” By “wokery,” they’re referring to the fact that Gatwa is the first Black and gay Doctor Who. This has set British conservatives foaming at the mouth, even more than the first female Doctor did. They absolutely cannot accept that people still like the show and its success: it must all be part of the “wokery.”
As a Brit, I just find it infuriating that the Sun have put this idea out there and made Who and Gatwa apart of their petty little culture war. (You’ll note that in the original Sun article, the writer disparagingly mentions the popular moment in the episode “The Star Beast” where Rose Noble’s transgender identity helps her save the day.)
Will Doctor Who be cancelled?
You see, the show is not being scrapped, The Sun, sorry. The BBC has bitten back at them with, “This story is incorrect, Doctor Who has not been shelved. As we have previously stated, the decision on season 3 will be made after season 2 airs.” Gatwa himself hasn’t said anything at all, and neither has current showrunner Russell T. Davies, which indicates to me that they simply don’t want to give the rumors oxygen.
Could Gatwa want to leave for other movies or television shows?
Of course, no one would begrudge Gatwa if he did leave the show – it’s just that he would be doing it for reasons other than “wokery.” It’s true that he’s very successful right now, conquering the worlds of movies, TV and theater with ease. He won’t be the first Doctor Who star to come off the show and embark on a career as a Hollywood heartthrob. Just look at Karen Gillan, who shot to fame playing Amy Pond opposite Matt Smith’s Doctor back in 2010. If he does leave the role of the Doctor in the next couple of years and try to move himself up in Hollywood, Doctor Who fans would wish him all the best, just like they did when Christopher Eccleston exited the show after only one season of playing the Ninth Doctor. We want our Doctors to be happy and successful!
But there’s absolutely no evidence that Gatwa is leaving beyond what The Sun has presented in an attempt to slam all things “woke.” We definitely have another season with him, either way. It’s due to air in April and presumably it will be very diverse, thoughtful and inclusive. You know, all the things that The Sun hates.
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