Will Gatwa be in Doctor Who for the long haul?
It’s been a terribly exciting time for Doctor Who fans as of late, with the recent batch of 60th anniversary episodes and a surprise bigeneration paving the way for Ncuti Gatwa‘s Fifteenth Doctor to take over the reins in his new season of the sci-fi show.
But before that, the anticipated Christmas episode will air, which will also introduce viewers to Gatwa’s new companion, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson).
Although we have a little while to wait before Gatwa’s first full season airs next year, the actor is already a couple of months into filming for his second Doctor Who season.
Expected to be released in 2025, Gatwa revealed more in the Radio Times Christmas issue, and said: “It feels so much fun now. I’ve relaxed and [the Doctor] seems to have sunk down a little bit deeper, from my chest into my gut.”
Even so, the actor admitted that he will be “far away from a TV” when his first full episode airs on Christmas Day with The Church on Ruby Road.
As for what’s next after the two seasons, Gatwa admitted that he’s thinking more in the moment with the series, and didn’t give any concrete plans for his future after season 2.
When asked if he was in the Doctor Who role for the long haul, he said: “No idea, no plan. I just know that I’m loving it and my love for it is growing.”
After the third and final instalment of the 60th anniversary episodes, fans were delighted to see Gatwa’s Doctor bi-generate alongside David Tennant’s Fourteenth, with the latter supposedly now enjoying life with Catherine Tate’s Donna and her family.
Read more:
- Doctor Who’s Ncuti Gatwa says his Doctor is “flirty and cheeky”
- Doctor Who boss says there are “no plans” for David Tennant to return
Speaking recently at a screening of the Christmas episode, showrunner Russell T Davies quashed any thoughts about Tennant returning any time soon.
He joked: “Sorry, it’s the age of Ncuti now – it’s ‘David who?’”
Davies added: “No plans, genuinely, yet, because it’s a busy TARDIS – these two [Gatwa and Millie Gibson as companion Ruby Sunday] are gonna just sail across the universe and capture your heart, so it’s time to look at these two.”
Gatwa made his debut in The Giggle, but will return as the new Doctor in The Church on Ruby Road, which will air at 5:55pm on Christmas Day on BBC One.
The new episode will see the Doctor and Ruby meet, as well as explore her backstory and see the pair fighting against some evil-looking goblins.
Doctor Who will return for The Church on Ruby Road on BBC One at 5:55pm on Christmas Day. Previous episodes are available on BBC iPlayer and on BritBox – you can sign up for a 7-day free trial here.
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