During her regeneration, Jodie Whittaker will hand over to Ncuti Gatwa (seen in Sex Education). The actor will play the 14th doctor (Fourteenth), iconic role of the British series Doctor Who.
The legendary series Doctor Who is about to enter a new era. Jodie Whittaker will leave the Doctor costume in the next episode, in the fall of 2022. To replace her, actor Ncuti Gatwa will be at the controls of the TARDIS, officially becoming the 14th Doctor. The announcement has been made on Twitter via the official account of Doctor Who (which is surprising, because usually a television event is organized).
“ I may only have one heart but I give it all to this show “, commented the actor in the press release. He evokes a feeling of honor, of excitement, but confides to being somewhat intimidated to carry a role and a series which are so important ” for many people around the world, including myself “. He adds : ” Russell T. Davies is almost as iconic as the Doctor himself and to be able to work with him is a dream come true. »
Who is Ncuti Gatwa, henceforth “fourteenth”?
Ncuti Gatwa is not very well known yet, but you have already come across him if you look Sex Education, on Netflix, where he plays Eric Effiong. As a reminder, Matt Smith was far from being a superstar on the small screen before he became the 11th Doctor in 2011 – his interpretation has nevertheless become iconic, he has made his way to the cinema, and he is now in the cast of the spin -off Game of Thrones. So Doctor Who can also be a springboard.
The announcement is also historic because Ncuti Gatwa is the first black man to play the role of the Doctor, since the launch of the series almost 60 years ago. However, in previous seasons, actress Jo Martin had played a “fugitive” and earlier version of the Doctor. But this time around, Ncuti Gatwa will be the central hero — the reigning 14th Doctor. Like its predecessors, it will be nicknamed from its place in the chronology of the series, and therefore, in this case, “Fourteenth”, or “Quatorze” in French.
A new era for Doctor Who with Russel T. Davies and Ncuti Gatwa
The regeneration is scheduled for fall 2022, and we can already see it in a first trailer. This episode will also be the Centennial Special. It is then, at the end of this ultimate adventure, that Jodie Whittaker will say goodbye to the role, and that she will regenerate as the 14th doctor, with Ncuti Gatwa.
We can speak of a change of era not only because of the change of Doctor, but also because everything will change: showrunner Chris Chibnall will hand over to Russel T. Davies, the one to whom we owe the revival of the series in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston then David Tennant.
Russel T. Davies will therefore again become the showrunner for 2023, with this 14th doctor. He promises, in the press release, that 2023 will be “ spectacular ” for Doctor Who.