Doctor Who is now passing the baton from Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth to Ncuti Gatwa as the Fourteenth Doctor.
BBC News reports that the 29-year-old Ncuti Gatwa will become the 14th Time Lord on the science fiction show. He will also be the first person of color to play the lead role.
If anything, Doctor Who has been known to change things up. Thirteenth Time Lord Jodie Whittaker is passing the baton to Ncuti Gatwa. From a lady doctor, the show now chose to have its first person of color. Apart from making a statement, show author and podcaster Juno Dawson deems Gatwa as a perfect cast choice and shares the news on her twitter.
Ncuti Gatwa is a three-time nominee for BAFTA TV Award for Male Performance in a Comedy Programme for his role as Eric Effiong in Sex Education. He even bagged four awards for the same role from BAFTA-Scotland, Broadcasting Press Guild Awards, Newport Beach Film Festival and Royal Television Society, UK.
Ncuti Gatwa Is The New Doctor Who
Perfect, perfect casting ❤️ https://t.co/gvQu2Qvcil
— Juno Dawson (@junodawson) May 8, 2022
BBC chief content officer Charlotte Moore said:
Ncuti has an incredible dynamism, he’s a striking and fearless young actor whose talent and energy will set the world alight and take Doctor Who on extraordinary adventures under Russell T Davies’ new era.
The show’s selection of the new doctor can also be attributed to Gatwa’s charisma. He has the ability to draw in a new audience for the series. Much like what previous Time Lords can, the character signals a new era for the show. The demographic that Gatwa brings with him not only belongs to a younger, newer audience but also those that wish to pick the series up again.
Russell T Davies, the showrunner of the series said that Gatwa had a “blazing” audition. And that he was highly impressed. He says:
It was our last audition. It was our very last one. We thought we had someone, and then in he came and stole it. I’m properly, properly thrilled. It’s going to be a blazing future.
With all these, people are optimistic in the further development of the show. How they go through with this remains to be seen.
Ncuti Gatwa Is The New Doctor Who
Image: BBC
Gatwa’s words:
…definitely going to do my own thing…
Russell T Davies is almost as iconic as the Doctor himself and being able to work with him is a dream come true. His writing is dynamic, exciting, incredibly intelligent and fizzing with danger. An actor’s metaphorical playground. The entire team have been so welcoming and truly give their hearts to the show. And so as much as it’s daunting, I’m aware I’m joining a really supportive family. Unlike the Doctor, I may only have one heart but I am giving it all to this show.
Gatwa’s Doctor Who, the 14th Time Lord will first appear in Whittaker’s final special this fall. He will then have his own series by 2023 in time for the show’s 60-years celebration.
To what adventures await the Doctor and his Tardis?
