Doctor Who Star Ncuti Gatwa Leaves The TARDIS After Two Seasons As Fifteenth Doctor
Spoiler Warning: This article contains major spoilers for Doctor Who Season 2 finale ‘The Reality War’
1,119 days ago, the BBC announced that Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa as Doctor Who‘s newest Time Lord incumbent. Tonight, after two seasons, two Christmas specials, and a mind-blowing introduction in which he was quite literally pulled into the Whoniverse from the body of fan-favourite Doctor David Tennant (oh, The Giggle, how we love you), Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor bowed out in Doctor Who Season 2 finale ‘The Reality War’. In a shocking capstone to a shocking episode, the closing moments of the finale — in which we’d already seen the Doctor fend off two Ranis, defeat ancient Time Lord Omega, and flex his sartorial muscle one more time in a gorgeous pinstripe combo — saw Fifteen dramatically regenerate, seemingly into none other than former Who companion Billie Piper. But amid the chaos and confusion of the finale and all that it may means for the show’s future, the BBC published a touching farewell from Ncuti alongside a couple of official statements. Check out Gatwa’s farewell below;
“You know when you get cast, at some point you are going to have to hand back that sonic screwdriver and it is all going to come to an end, but nothing quite prepares you for it,” said Gatwa in a statement released alongside his farewell video. “This journey has been one that I will never forget, and a role that will be part of me forever. There are no words to describe what it feels like to be cast as the Doctor, nor are there words to explain what it feels like to be accepted into this iconic role that has existed for over 60 years and is truly loved by so many across the globe.
Continuing, the Scottish-Rwandan actor — whose tenure at the TARDIS’ helm had helped usher in a new era for the world’s longest-running sci-fi show — added: “The fans are truly the final character and beating heart of this show and I can’t thank the Whoniverse, and the Whovians, enough for welcoming me in, and making this such a touching experience. I’ve loved every minute of it, but now is the time to hand over the keys to that beloved blue box and let someone else take control and enjoy it every bit as much as I have. I’ll truly miss it, and forever be grateful to it, and everyone that has played a part in my journey as the Doctor.”
Just who exactly Gatwa will be handing those prized keys over to however is a little unclear. While we definitely did see Billie Piper appear in the TARDIS at the end of the episode, the credits for the finale — in a noteworthy break from tradition — do not list the former Rose Tyler as the new Doctor (the credits simply read ‘Introducing Billie Piper’), and nor does the BBC’s official press release refer to her as the Sixteenth Doctor. In fact, showrunner Russell T. Davies’ own cryptic statement only adds fuel to the speculative fire.
“Billie once changed the whole of television, back in 2005, and now she’s done it again!” writes Davies. “It’s an honour and a hoot to welcome her back to the TARDIS, but quite how and why and who is a story yet to be told. After 62 years, the Doctor’s adventures are only just beginning!” Added Piper herself: “It’s no secret how much I love this show, and I have always said I would love to return to the Whoniverse as I have some of my best memories there, so to be given the opportunity to step back on that TARDIS one more time was just something I couldn’t refuse, but who, how, why and when, you’ll just have to wait and see.”
With Season 3 of Doctor Who as yet unconfirmed, many threads left dangling after ‘The Reality War’ (Where did Anita Dobson’s Rani go? Who actually is The Boss? Why is Billie Piper back in the TARDIS?), and new spin-off show The War Between The Land And The Sea well on its way, the future of the Whoniverse is, at this moment, both uncertain and unwritten. What is certain however is that Ncuti Gatwa’s tenure as the Fifteenth Doctor, with Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday and then Varada Sethu’s Belinda Chandra at his side, has given Whovians so much to be grateful for. Emotionally open, endlessly energetic, loving to a fault yet angry in ways we’ve never seen before, Gatwa’s Doctor — and these two seasons — have been unforgettable. As Fifteen himself said with his final words, this has been an absolute joy.
