<\/p>
Russell T Davies knows how to make an impact.<\/p>\n
After years of high-profile TV launches, special trailers and slow build-up announcements for big new Doctor Who<\/a> castings, the only truly surprising thing for the returning showrunner to pull was\u2026nothing at all. And so it was that instead of a live special, behind-the-scenes documentary or Wimbledon tennis drop, Doctor Who\u2019s new lead Ncuti Gatwa was unveiled by a single tweet<\/a>. Or an Instagram post, depending on which you saw first.<\/p>\n With hindsight, it was a genius move \u2013 Davies and Ncuti Gatwa<\/a> were both attending the BAFTAs the same day, so they had a captive TV and press audience for impromptu photoshoots and interviews \u2013 and symptomatic of Gatwa\u2019s casting as a whole. But we\u2019ll get to that in a minute.<\/p> Because first off, I have to say: isn\u2019t this exciting? Gatwa\u2019s casting already feels like a fresh, interesting creative choice from Davies, rebooting Doctor Who at a stroke (as any regeneration should, really) and bringing in plenty of new fans alongside established audiences.<\/p>\n Anyone who\u2019s seen Gatwa\u2019s performance as the vulnerable, hilarious Eric Effiong in Netflix\u2019s Sex Education<\/a> will need no reminding of his acting ability, but he also feels like a clean slate for the series \u2013 a young, vibrant actor with bucketloads of energy whose (comparatively) small list of acting credits means that his Who performance can feel singular and new.<\/p>\n At the moment, it\u2019s hard to say what Gatwa\u2019s Doctor Who performance, or Doctor, will be like. That sense of renewal and the unknown is essential to what makes the show work, and it\u2019s hard to think of another actor working at the moment who better embodies those values. Like Davies returning to the show after It\u2019s A Sin, at the top of his game and with any job offer at his fingertips, Gatwa\u2019s casting sends a message: Doctor Who is not an afterthought. Doctor Who is the biggest game in town. And now everyone else is going to know it.<\/p>\n The future is here! Ncuti Gatwa is the Doctor. \u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f\u2795???? #DoctorWho<\/a>