Attention all Whovians, there is a new doctor in the Whoniverse! Ncuti Gatwa is set to take over the role of the titular character in Doctor Who in 2023. Though it was initially believed that Gatwa will be taking over the role from English actress Jodie Whittaker, and will be the Fourteenth Doctor, it was later revealed that Gatwa will be playing the Fifteenth Doctor, taking over the role from David Tennant who was surprisingly unveiled as the fourteenth Doctor. It was also revealed that new episodes of the show would stream on Disney+ for viewers outside the UK and Ireland, in 2023. In anticipation of the new viewers, Gatwa also provided a series primer that explains the premise of Doctor Who to new fans.
“Hello! I’m Ncuti Gatwa and I am the next Doctor in the next season of Doctor Who, and to celebrate the news that we’ll be landing on the BBC and Disney+, I’m here to answer some questions,” he told fans. Gatwa explains that the Doctor is an “alien Time Lord with two hearts, who travels through time and space with a human companion by their side in the TARDIS”, which is a spaceship disguised as an old British police box. When asked what makes the Doctor special, Gatwa responds with “The Doctor is full of optimism and hope, with a fierce sense of right and wrong. They are clever and courageous. The Doctor doesn’t carry any weapons, just a sonic screwdriver for fixing things and getting out of tricky situations. They’re full of adventure, running towards danger. But when they are fatally injured, they can regenerate.”
The video then shifts to more personal questions focusing on Gatwa and his upcoming role. “I am so excited, but obviously it’s daunting,” Gatwa says. “It’s an iconic role and show, and I’m following in some very big footsteps, but I cannot wait to put my stamp on the character. With every new Doctor comes a new beginning for the show.” Finally, the brief video concludes with Gatwa explaining where he would love to take the TARDIS to. “I would take my TARDIS to Africa. I would take my TARDIS to Nigeria, and I would love for the Doctor to meet the Orisha, which were a set of gods in Nigerian mythology. And I think that he would have a lovely old time there.”
Doctor Who is a British science-fiction television program that was originally broadcasted by the BBC in 1963. The series follows an alien Time Lord called the Doctor, who is an extraterrestrial that takes the form of a human. The Doctor travels with various human companions in the TARDIS to combat evil, save civilizations, and help people in need. Since 1963, fourteen actors have starred as the Doctor, beginning with William Hartnell. The frequent turnover of the role is written into the plot, as the Doctor goes through frequent regeneration whenever he is badly injured. Each actor’s portrayal is unique, but all maintain elements of the Doctor’s previous stages in order to form a single lifetime with a single narrative. Interestingly, the focus on time-traveling in the plot means that the Doctor can occasionally meet and interact with their previous selves.
David Tennant is set to play the next embodiment of the Doctor, after Whittaker suddenly regenerated into him during the final episode that aired last weekend. Tennant will appear in the show’s 60th-anniversary specials, before Gatwa takes over in 2023.
Doctor Who will return in 2023, and will be available on BBC one in the UK and Disney+ worldwide. Meanwhile, seasons 1-12 air on BBC America, and are also available for streaming on HBO Max. Check out Gatwa’s Doctor Who primer below:
