The BBC announced that Ncuti Gatwa would the Fourteenth Doctor in Doctor Who. The oldest sci-fi TV series in the worldregeneration being at the heart of the success of Doctor Whomeans the show doesn’t necessarily need to end, when an actor chooses to leave, the Doctor regenerates in a new form, a new actor takes over, and the show effectively reboots.
One of the biggest reboots in the series’ recent history is about to take place, with the departure of Jodie Whittakerthe Thirteenth Doctor, alongside Chris Chibnall, the current showrunner. Russell T. Davies, the mastermind behind the 2005 revival, returns as showrunner. Production is expected to begin by the end of 2022. The identity of the Fourteenth Doctor has been the subject of intense rumour, but the BBC has been careful to announce it in a way that it does not harm to the latest episodes of Jodie Whittaker. Some had hoped that the BBC would manage to keep it a secret until the broadcast of the Doctor Who Centenary Special in October, but that was impossible – as soon as production began the identity of the new Doctor would have been revealed.
The BBC has just officially announced that the Fourteenth Doctor will be played by the actor Ncuti Gatwaawarded a Bafta (Sex Education, The Last Letter from her lover, Barbie). Here are his first words:
“There aren’t really words to describe how I feel. I’m very honored, very excited and, of course, a little scared all at the same time. This role and this show mean so much to so many people around the world, myself included, and each of my incredibly talented predecessors handled this unique responsibility and privilege with the utmost care. I will do my best to do the same. Russell T Davies is almost as iconic as the Doctor himself and to be able to work with him is a dream come true. His writing is dynamic, exciting, incredibly intelligent and sparkling with danger. An actor’s metaphorical playground. The whole team has been so welcoming and really poured their hearts into the show. And so, even though it’s intimidating, I know that I’m joining a family that really supports me. Unlike the Doctor, I may only have one heart but I give it all to this series.