Varada Sethu, the new star of Doctor Who, has defended the BBC and Disney+ series against claims it has gone “woke.”
In an interview with the Radio Times, the new companion to Ncuti Gatwa’s Time Lord said that the “woke” barb means the drama is simply doing the right thing in being inclusive.
“There’s been a couple of Doctor Woke [references] or whatever, but I just think we’re doing the right thing if we’re getting comments like that,” Sethu said.
“Woke just means inclusive, progressive and that you care about people. And, as far as I know, the core of Doctor Who is kindness, love and doing the right thing.”
Sethu and Gatwa’s pairing means that two people of color will pilot the Tardis for the first time in Doctor Who’s history. “Ncuti was like, ‘Look at us. We get to be in the Tardis. We’re going to piss off so many people’,” she said.
“We really are equals in the way that we interact with each other. Russell [T Davies] wanted someone who can push back and not be in awe of this all-powerful being.”
Season 15 of Doctor Who will premiere on the BBC and Disney on April 12 amid uncertainty over the futures of both Gatwa and showrunner Davies.
It is also unclear if Disney will continue to co-produce Doctor Who beyond 2025. The Mouse House’s commitment is critical to budgets, storylines, and casting, meaning its withdrawal could mean major changes to the show. Doctor Who fans will likely have to wait until at least 2027 before a follow-up to this year’s season.
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