Russell T Davies begins contemplating his potential successor for Doctor Who.
Ncuti Gatwa's second stint as the Fifteenth Doctor commences on April 12, but Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies has already begun contemplating what lies ahead, moving beyond this season. Contrary to recent rumors (debunked by the BBC) suggesting the show could go off the air if it fails to garner impressive ratings, it's disheartening to contemplate this prospect for Davies' faithful followers, as it implies speculation about who'll take charge after Davies departs.
Radio Times and CBR report that Davies recently made an appearance on David Tennant's podcast, where he and Tennant, the Tenth and Fourteenth Doctor, shared some laughs reminiscing about Davies' return to Doctor Who's helm. Despite their joking about Davies' second run being his last with no third in sight, they discussed the future when Davies eventually steps down.
"I'll eventually need to slow down," Davies admitted. "That's inevitable." However, he reassured fans, "I'll never completely abandon Doctor Who."
When it comes to finding a successor, Davies mentioned, "Last time it was Steven Moffat [who took over], that wasn't even a brief chat, it was more like, 'Alright, mate, off you go!'" Besides Moffat, who served as showrunner from 2010-2017, the only other person to fill the position since Doctor Who's revival is Chris Chibnall, who managed Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor's run from 2018-2022.
The identity of Davies' successor, still under wraps, has Davies pondering. "There are discussions about that, but it's a challenging task," he said. "However, [the successor] better be around... I can't even imagine kicking the bucket at my desk. That cliché alone would be lethal!" (He also cast a humorous vote for Tim Robbins to portray him in his biopic, should it ever happen.)
Doctor Who will return to Disney+ and the BBC (depending on your location) on April 12, but there's no word yet on subsequent seasons or even a special Christmas episode in 2025.
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- Despite Ncuti Gatwa's second stint as the Fifteenth Doctor starting on April 12, Russell T Davies has begun thinking about the future of Doctor Who beyond this season.
- In a recent podcast appearance, Russell T Davies talked with David Tennant about his second run as Doctor Who's showrunner, and they discussed who might take over when Davies steps down.
- Russell T Davies mentioned that he hopes to find a successor for Doctor Who, but it's a challenging task and there are ongoing discussions about who might take the helm.
- As for the future of Doctor Who, there's currently no word on subsequent seasons or even a special Christmas episode in 2025, but fans can get their fix of sci-fi news by following io9 for updates on Marvel, Star Wars, Star Trek, and the latest on Doctor Who's future.
