With Ncuti Gatwa soon to take over the reins of Doctor Who as the Fifteenth Doctor (following David Tennant’s return as the now Fourteenth Doctor), Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi has weighed in on the casting, saying the “amazing” actor will bring “depth” to the role.
Capaldi has previously praised Gatwa’s “huge talent and heart”, and now, speaking with BBC Scotland’s The Edit, Capaldi added that Gatwa’s casting was “fantastic” and “a brilliant choice”.
He said that Gatwa is “absolutely amazing” and noted: “The fact that he’s Scottish and Rwandan, you know, that’s a brilliant combination.”
Asked what he thought Gatwa would bring to the role, Capaldi said: “Oh, energy and humour and wit – and fun, you know, as well as depth. You know, Doctor Who is a great part. You can’t lose with it. It’s a joy to play. And I think he’ll just really grab it with both hands and get on with it.”
“Scottish people are just amazing – they’re quite cosmic”
— The Edit (@bbctheedit) October 29, 2022
With Ncuti Gatwa to become the fourth Scot to take the TARDIS for a spin, @DavidJ_Farrell asks Peter Capaldi why Scottish people play Doctor Who so well.#BBCTheEdit – 7:15pm, Saturday @BBCScotland and @BBCiPlayer.✨ pic.twitter.com/qaDtwzMU5R
Capaldi was also asked why he thought Scots made such great Doctors, after Scottish actors including Sylvester McCoy, Tennant, Capaldi and now Gatwa have all taken on the role.
He answered: “Because Scots people are just amazing, that’s why. Because they’re quite cosmic. You know that to be true. So that’s why.”
Capaldi has recently spoken on the chances of his own return to the show, and unfortunately for fans, it seems unlikely we will see the actor back in the TARDIS in the future.
Having previously ruled out a return for a multi-Doctor story, Capaldi told RadioTimes.com exclusively that he would also have little interest in a solo return akin to Tennant’s comeback.
He said: “I love Doctor Who – I love it in all of its forms. But I’ve sort of done my time on it and I like the idea that you leave that as it is, instead of constantly digging up more of it.”
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