Ncuti Gatwa is set to depart the long-running BBC television series Doctor Who without ever encountering the Time Lord’s most infamous enemies: the Daleks.
Despite his groundbreaking tenure as the 15th Doctor and the first Black actor to assume the role, Gatwa’s era will close without a showdown against the sci-fi series’ iconic villains.
The Context
Ncuti Gatwa officially departed Doctor Who on Saturday, saying he “loved every minute of it,” after his Doctor regenerated into Billie Piper in a season finale that has sparked mixed reactions from fans. Piper, 42, is no stranger to the series, having first appeared in 2005 as Rose Tyler, companion to Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor, and later alongside David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor. Gatwa’s exit, long speculated, now confirms him as the second-shortest-serving Doctor, following Eccleston’s single-season run.
What To Know
Gatwa becomes only the second actor never to face the Daleks during his tenure in the lead role—joining Paul McGann, whose Eighth Doctor battled them only in audio dramas, while David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor encountered them, but his brief return as the Fourteenth did not.
Doctor Who first premiered in 1963 and ran until 1989 before going on an extended hiatus. The series, about a heroic time traveling Doctor who battles dark forces of the universe, was successfully revived in 2005 under the guidance of writer Russell T Davies, ushering in a new era for the iconic sci-fi show.
Key elements of the franchise’s longevity are: the Doctor’s Tardis time machine, a converted antiquated police phone box; and the concept of regeneration, in which the Doctor undergoes a transformation into a new body and personality following events that would typically be fatal. This also doubles as a handy dramatic device to switch actors in the lead role.
Additionally, the Doctor is kitted out with a “sonic screwdriver,” an equivalent to Batman’s utility belt.
To date,14 actors have officially portrayed the Doctor in numbered roles, David Tennant uniquely returning to play both the 10th and 14th incarnations. Additionally, the late John Hurt portrayed the previously unknown “War Doctor” in a special episode marking the show’s 50th anniversary.
What People Are Saying
Gatwa said: “You know when you get cast, at some point, you are going to have to hand back that sonic screwdriver and it is all going to come to an end, but nothing quite prepares you for it.
“This journey has been one that I will never forget and a role that will be part of me forever. There are no words to describe what it feels like to be cast as the Doctor, nor are there words to explain what it feels like to be accepted into this iconic role that has existed for over 60 years and is truly loved by so many across the globe.
“The fans are truly the final character and beating heart of this show and I can’t thank the Whoniverse, and the Whovians, enough for welcoming me in, and making this such a touching experience.
Billie Piper said in a press release: “It’s no secret how much I love this show, and I have always said I would love to return to the Whoniverse as I have some of my best memories there, so to be given the opportunity to step back on that Tardis one more time was just something I couldn’t refuse, but who, how, why and when you’ll just have to wait and see.”
Russell T. Davies in the BBC press release said: “What a Doctor! Thank you, Ncuti! As his final words say, this has been an absolute joy, and the team in Cardiff and everyone who has worked on this show for the past few years, are so lucky to have been part of Ncuti’s great adventure as he shoots off to stratospheric new heights.”
What Happens Next
It remains unknown at this stage when the next series will be released on BBC. In the U.S. the show airs on Disney+. The fact that Gatwa has not battled the Daleks, gives him the perfect excuse to return in a later series, plot permitting.
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