While rumors are swirling about who is going to be the next Doctor in Doctor Who, David Tennant is apparently out of the running according to a new interview.
With ratings in the toilet, Doctor Who on Disney+ with Ncuti Gatwa and helmed by showrunner Russell T. Davies is all but over. There are only three episodes left of the show, and it’s unlikely to garner enough interest to where Disney could be happy with their investment.
Rumors have had it that Ncuti Gatwa is done with his time as The Doctor, even though a Bad Wolf representative told Fandom Pulse that Gatwa was contracted through 2028 when these rumors started appearing at the beginning of his run. According to an inside source, Gatwa’s regeneration scene has already been filmed and he’s likely to be exiting the show.
Further compounding these rumors is a lack of a Christmas special this year, a time-honored Doctor Who tradition which was not greenlit for 2025. It lends credence to the BBC not having a plan for the future of the show, if there would be one at all.
This week had rumors fly that they were looking for a nostalgic reason for fans to come back, potentially bringing back Billie Piper, who famously played Rose, for the role of the Doctor in a strange double down on feminism. While these rumors haven’t been confirmed, we now have learned that the Doctor who was so beloved with her as a duo, David Tennant, is not likely to return to the role.
Tennant spoke with Deadline at the BAFTA awards, stating he believed the show would keep going because it’s been on for “sixty years and shows no signs of stopping.”
He then said, “And part of what makes it such a vibrant show is that it keeps renewing and finding stories… and as far as I’m aware, that’s what’s happening without me for awhile.”
Apparently, Deadline believed there were rumors he would return again, and Tennant said, “I promise you I’d tell you if it was true!”
Doctor Who as a brand might be poison for actors at this juncture, as part of the reason Gatwa is rumored to be leaving is because of fan backlash. Tennant might not want to be affiliated anymore either given how low fan-reception has been in recent times.
He had already returned a couple of years ago for the 60th Anniversary Special, where Jody Whittaker regenerated into Tennant in a strange move where he was brought back for a time. This was used for Russell T. Davies “bi-generation” where Tennant split from Gatwa and went to live a life hanging out with Donna Noble and her family.
Fans have clamored for a storyline where Gatwa is revealed as not the real Doctor and the line is continued via Tennant, which would remove the horrific continuity of the new Disney+ show from the character. However, it looks like this idea is not the case, at least for now.
What do you think of David Tennant not returning to Doctor Who? Leave a comment and let us know.
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