The future of Doctor Who is looking brighter than that sun the Tenth Doctor burned up to say goodbye to Rose. We have three specials with David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor coming up, and then it’s on to Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor! And the hype is starting already. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone UK, Gatwa made it clear the future of the show is in very good hands. Gatwa really gets the character of the Doctor. After musing about his own family history (his family fled Rwanda for Scotland in 1994) and the Doctor’s established backstory, he said, “This person survived a genocide. This person fits in everywhere and nowhere. I am the Doctor. The Doctor is me. I decided that I had to get this role.”
We’re all immensely glad he did. But how long are we likely to get him for? Well, it seems Gatwa is planning to stay on for (at least) two seasons. While discussing his love of theater and his desire to return to it, he revealed, “I’m planning on getting back to it next year, after I finish season two of Doctor Who.”
After those two seasons, things are seemingly much more up in the air for Gatwa. It’s not impossible for him to juggle theater commitments with Doctor Who, but it seems like, given a choice, he might simply prefer being on the stage to being the lead of an international mega-franchise. He explains in the interview that being the Doctor can be an unnerving experience, despite the support from previous Doctor actors (they have a group chat together! A GROUP CHAT!), showrunner Russell T. Davies, and therapists. He also points out: “I’m the first Black man to play this character. The British press can be very mean,” which is a sobering reminder of the racism that Black actors have to face when playing historically white roles and the absolute state of the UK media.
Will the Fifteenth Doctor be back one day?
Certainly some Whovians will be disappointed at the news that Gatwa’s time as the Doctor might be limited to two seasons, but we should count ourselves lucky we’re getting Gatwa for that long. Bear in mind that Christopher Eccleston, the Ninth Doctor, only did one season and he’s still one of the most beloved Doctors out there. And remember it’s not guaranteed Gatwa will leave after doing two and we’ll see no more of him. After all, David Tennant not only returned for Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary special but now of course he’s a whole new Doctor! Regardless of the length of his tenancy in the TARDIS, Gatwa will always be one of the people who made Doctor Who what it is.
(featured image: BBC)
