The BBC has announced that Ncuti Gatwa will succeed Jodie Whittaker as the Time Lord in Doctor Who.
After Whittaker announced in July that she would be leaving the role, the 29-year-old will assume the role on the popular BBC series.
The Scottish actor, who was born in Rwanda, portrayed Eric Effiong in the wildly popular Netflix series Sex Education, which centred on the socially awkward high school student Otis (Asa Butterfield) and his sex therapist mother Jean (Gillian Anderson). He will be the first black actor to play the lead role on a permanent basis. Jo Martin made a guest appearance in 2020 as a previously unknown version of the Doctor disguised as a human tour guide on Earth.
Russell T. Davies will reprise his role as showrunner for the upcoming season of Doctor Who. He previously served in this capacity from 2005 to 2009.
In a statement published on the official Doctor Who website, Ncuti remarked, “I’m at a loss for words. A mixture of profound honour, extreme excitement, and, of course, some fear. Each of my incredibly talented predecessors has handled this special responsibility and honour with the utmost care.
“I will make every effort to do the same. Russell T. Davies is almost as iconic as the Doctor, and the opportunity to collaborate with him is a dream come true. His writing is dynamic, exciting, extraordinarily intelligent, and fraught with peril.”
The future is here, and his name is Ncuti! Occasionally, talent walks through the door that is so bright, bold, and brilliant that I can only stand in awe and count my blessings. Ncuti astounded us, seized the Doctor, and possessed the Tardis keys in a matter of seconds. It’s an honour and a pleasure to work with him; I can’t wait to get started.”
The final episode featuring Whittaker’s Doctor is expected to air this fall to coincide with the BBC’s centennial. She was the first woman to perform the role continuously. It was a move that initially resulted in the highest ratings in a decade, but also sparked controversy among some fans who believed the character should always be a man, and prompted a Conservative member of parliament to claim that it deprived boys of a role model and contributed to their involvement in crime.
When Gatwa assumes control of the Tardis, Doctor Who will no longer be produced by the BBC, but by Bad Wolf Productions, a company founded by Julie Gardner and Jane Tranter. Both have previous Doctor Who experience. The majority owner of the company is Sony, and it has previously produced A Discovery of Witches, His Dark Materials, and I Hate Suzie.
Fans will recognise Gatwa as the fourteenth Doctor, despite the fact that the numbering of the actors portraying Doctor Who has become increasingly jumbled over the years. John Hurt appeared as the mysterious War Doctor in 2013 for the show’s 50th anniversary, and Martin will make her debut as the Fugitive Doctor in 2020. During the 1960s and 1970s, the number of Doctors was easy to count.
To add to the confusion, both Richard Hurndall in 1983 and David Bradley in 2017 have portrayed the “First Doctor,” a role originated by William Hartnell when the series premiered in 1963.
Whittaker’s current companions, John Bishop as Dan and Mandip Gill as Yaz, will be replaced in the show’s 2023 reboot. Gill said of her character’s departure, “Just like me, just like my character, there will be many tears, but I loved the conclusion.”
Upon announcing her departure from the role, Whittaker referred to it as “the best job I’ve ever had,” stating: “I don’t believe I’ll ever be able to adequately express what this role has meant to me. I will always remember the Doctor and the lessons I’ve learned.”