Summary
Numerous fans had speculated that Ncuti Gatwa’s time as the Doctor onDoctor Whowould be coming to an end after two seasons. That being said, no one was expecting his assumed replacement to be such a familiar face.
What is there to say aboutDoctor Whoat this point? Betweenthe original series(which began in 1962 and ran up through 1989) and the reboot (which has run yearly since 2005), there have been nearly 900 episodes of television bearing theDoctor Whoname. Add in various films, spin-off series, and other media (like books, comics, and audio dramas), and the hours one can spend consuming the wild, wacky adventures of the titular Doctor are seemingly endless. AlthoughDoctor Whois a decidedly British series, the show has become a staple for sci-fi fans across the globe. As such, a whole lot of people are kind of losing their minds about what just happened onDoctor Who’s latest episode.
While many people have been satisfied with Ncuti Gatwa’s run as the Doctor, theratings haven’t been setting the world on firefor the BBC and Disney.Rumors have been circulating that Gatwa would leave the series after this year, and with the latest episode’s regeneration scene, that certainly appears to be the case. Although the drama isn’t coming from the fact that Gatwa’s Doctor regenerated, it’s who he regenerated into: Billie Piper.Yes, Billie Piper of Rose Tyler fame. Billie Piper, who got her big break in the first season ofDoctor Who’s 2005 reboot. Billie Piper, who played the Bad Wolf entity on the show as well. It’s a lot to take in.
Doctor WhoIs Certainly Swinging For The Fences By Having Ncuti Gatwa Regenerate Into Billie Piper
Understandably, fans are a bit confused at the moment. This could honestly be the biggestcliffhanger in modernDoctor Whohistory. Is Billie Piper actually playing the Doctor? Are these some timey-wimey shenanigans where Rose Tyler has somehow been regenerated in the Doctor’s place? Does all of this involve Bad Wolf somehow? Considering current showrunner Russell T. Davies was also the showrunner behindDoctor Whowhen Piper, Tyler, and Bad Wolf all popped up into the public consciousness all those years ago, anything is on the table right now.
Conspicuously, Piper isn’t credited as “the Doctor” in the episode’s credits. As tradition has gone, whenever the Doctor regenerates into a new actor, that actor is credited with “and introducing [insert name here] as the Doctor.” Piper wasn’t given this illustrious honor, which opens the door quite a bit for her not to be the next Doctor. Of course, even with the upcoming spinoffWar Between Land and the Seaon the way,Doctor Who’s future isentirely up in the air at the moment. There won’t be a Christmas special this year (which feels off) and a new season hasn’t been ordered by Disney and the BBC just yet.
