Despite seemingly being cast as the 14th, a major shakeup reveals that Ncuti Gatwa's DoctorWho will be the 15th Doctor in the series.
Ncuti Gatwa is confirmed to be the fifteenth Doctor in Doctor Who, with the title of fourteenth going to David Tennant. Doctor Who is the longest-running science fiction television show in history, with the series having first premiered in 1963. Since then, the series has had a total of 39 seasons and one television film across thirteen Doctors. As Doctor Who enters its 60th anniversary, there are several anniversary specials coming to television in 2022 and 2023.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY Doctor Who uniquely owes its longevity to the show's ability to constantly recast its main character, the Doctor. The Doctor is an alien known as a Time Lord, who has the ability to regenerate their body whenever it is mortally wounded. This means that, when an actor playing the Doctor is set to depart from the role, the current Doctor will die, regenerate, and transform into a different body - or, rather, a different actor.
"If you thought the appearance of David Tennant was a shock, we’ve got plenty more surprises on the way! The path to Ncuti’s Fifteenth Doctor is laden with mystery, horror, robots, puppets, danger and fun! And how is it connected to the return of the wonderful Donna Noble? How, what, why? We’re giving you a year to speculate, and then all hell lets loose!"
What Could Tennant's Return Mean For Gatwa's Doctor? While previous actors and incarnations of the Doctor have made special appearances in Doctor Who, most notably in the 2013 50th anniversary special "The Day of the Doctor", which saw all 11 Doctors coming together, there has been no instance of a previous Doctor actor returning to the role permanently.
Tennant is widely considered to be one of the most beloved Doctors of all time, and fans were delighted to see him make his return to the series. However, Tennant's popularity could also cause Gatwa's fifteenth Doctor to be put on the backburner, stalling a major diversity milestone for the show. With several specials slated to run in late 2022 and throughout 2023, however, it's only a matter of time before Tennant once again passes on the Doctor Who mantle.