The statute of limitations has now ended. I’m gonna spoil the end of Doctor Who Season 2.
Ncuti Gatwa’s 15th Doctor sacrificed himself to allow Varada Sethu’s Belinda to keep her fabricated daughter, Poppy. And, with that, he regenerated.
Into Billie Piper.
This is interesting for a number of reasons. One, Billie Piper is very important to Doctor Who. She played Rose Tyler, the first and only companion of the Christopher Eccleston era, and the love of David Tennant’s Doctor’s life. One version of that Doc is in a different universe somewhere, living the life of his dreams with Rose.
The second reason is that the credits didn’t formally introduce Billie Piper as “The Doctor.” That’s very unusual, to say the least. That means we get to speculate on the next permanent Doctor!!! The best thing about the Doctor these days is that we no longer have to limit ourselves to the same old racial profile; they can be ANYBODY, not just white dudes!
So, without further ado, here are six actors who would do a fantastic job being the 16th (or 17th, depending on how they label Billie Piper’s incarnation).
PSYCHE!
My first pick actually is Billie Piper! Look, I know this is a nostalgia play, and she’s probably not going to be the new numbered Doctor, but would she be good at it? I think so! As we’ve already seen when she played Rose Tyler, she’s got acting chops. However, that’s not her sum total of acting credits. With a stint in Penny Dreadful and nabbing leading lady status in I Hate Suzie and Secret Diary of a Call Girl, she has the variety and skill that could be a good match for the eponymous Timelord.
One of the older actors on my list, at only 45, Adeel Akhtar is one of those guys in the business that I know you’ve seen in something. He is never the lead, but he always puts in a memorable performance. That’s because Akhtar has freaking range! From his hilarious role in Four Lions, which required strapping bombs to crows (gotta watch it to understand), to being an antisocial conspiracy theorist in Utopia who is gruesomely tortured, this guy can do it all. He’s a fantastic character actor, and I for one want to see him break out into a lead role.
Robert Sheehan is my “bring the chaos back to Doctor Who” pick. I’m sure he’s had parts that are just normal John Smith-type dudes, but I can’t think of any off the top of my head. Nathan in Misfits was pure comedy, very similar to Klaus in The Umbrella Academy. Now, can he do the dramatic stuff too, sans the zany character? I think so, but I’m also fine if he dials up the crazy. It’s a decent progression from the overly emotional Ncuti Gatwa Doctor. Emotions can make people do the craziest things, and since 15 got in touch with his inner self, it sorta makes sense to have someone prone to creating anarchy.
My personal pick is Katie Leung. Hot off the heels of her terrific portrayal of Caitlyn in Arcane, I can see her doing a great job as our TARDIS pilot. She has not exactly been prolific over the years since her time as a child actor, but she’s getting increasingly frequent starring roles. From being in the gritty police procedural Annika to doing something in whatever Bridgerton is, I have no doubt that she can bring dramatic flair to the role. But maybe I was just a little too into Cho from Harry Potter to be objective on this.
NO! Screw it! Katie Leung for Doctor Who! I’m Iain, and I approve this message.
Speaking of Bridgerton…
I’m not that familiar with Regé-Jean Page’s work, but come on! This guy has the look of someone born to be a star. I’m sure this would be a hit with a lot of young girls – a demographic that has been typically ignored by Doctor Who’s casting directors. And, sure, he’s a damn good-looking dude, but he isn’t just for objectification. He’s had solid outings in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and Black Bag, and I’m sure he can do The Doctor justice.
Woah, woah, woah! Are you crazy, Iain? John Simm? He’s the Master, you dumb f*ck!
That’s you. That’s you all, right now.
But if Billie Piper can come back, and if Peter Capaldi’s face can be used to bring The Doctor to life, then why not The Master’s? Think about how interesting it would be for The Doctor to become the visage of one of their mortal enemies. What that would say about who and what they’ve become would be riveting. Plus, John Simm is an amazing actor. Yes, we’ve seen him ham it up a bit to become the yin to The Doctor’s yang, but there’s so much more to him. Life on Mars, Grace, and Mad Dogs all demonstrate how good he is at his craft.
But I’m also not stupid. This one is a long shot at best.
What do you think? Who do you want to become the next Doctor? Tell me in the comments how you also want it to be Katie Leung.
If Sacha Baron Cohen didn’t just show up as a big bad in the MCU I would have said he would make an excellent Doctor. I also think Richard Ayoade would be a perfect fit. His got the look and the comedy/acting chops to make it work.