Christopher Eccleston has said that he would not return to Doctor Who for a story involving multiple incarnations of The Doctor, the likes of which has been rumoured for the show’s upcoming 60th anniversary.
The actor helped bring the show back from a long hiatus in 2005 when he made his debut as the short-lived Ninth Doctor, who teamed up with Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) for a set of thrilling adventures.
With Eccleston recently reprising his role for Big Finish audio releases and his original collaborator Russell T Davies returning as showrunner next season, some fans had felt a perfect storm was brewing for a Ninth Doctor comeback.
However, according to the latest comments from The A Word star, there’s seemingly no chance he would return for a 60th anniversary team-up special currently rumoured for 2023.
He told crowds at Australian convention Supanova: “I’ve never been a fan of multi-Doctor stories. When I worked on the series, I had really strong ideas about what works and what doesn’t, and I always think that multi-Doctor stories are a bit of a cash-in, and a bit of exploitation.
“Creatively, they never worked for me. I looked at the script for the 50th anniversary and I felt as soon as I said I wasn’t doing it it got better because, well, if I’m not in it, it’s better. The creation of the War Doctor introduced a whole new facet to the canon.”
Interestingly though, a later comment from Eccleston suggested he would consider returning to Doctor Who in live-action for a solo storyline following the Ninth Doctor.
He added: “The Ninth Doctor, in particular, is a one-man band. Definitely. So he doesn’t work with other Doctors. If you want me back, you’d get me on my own.”
Russell T Davies has previously advocated for a Doctor Who shared universe of shows, similar to that which he masterminded in his initial run with the main series alongside spin-offs Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures.
With the prolific writer, who wowed audiences last year with It’s A Sin, now steering the franchise once more, a spin-off series or one-shot tale featuring Eccleston’s incarnation of the Time Lord no longer seems out of the realm of possibility.
Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
The latest issue of Radio Times is on sale now – subscribe now to get each issue delivered to your door. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times podcast with Jane Garvey.