| The Fifteenth Doctor | |
|---|---|
| Doctor Who character | |
.jpg) Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor | |
| First regular appearance | "The Church on Ruby Road" (2023) |
| Introduced by | Russell T Davies |
| Portrayed by | Ncuti Gatwa |
| Preceded by | David Tennant (Fourteenth Doctor) |
| Information | |
| Tenure | 25 December 2023 – present |
| No of series | 1 |
| Appearances | 8 stories (9 episodes) |
| Companions | |
| Chronology | |
The Fifteenth Doctor is the current incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. He is portrayed by Rwandan-Scottish actor Ncuti Gatwa.[1] His first series companion is Ruby Sunday, played by Millie Gibson.[2]
Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a millennia-old alien Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, with somewhat unknown origins, who travels in time and space in their TARDIS, frequently with companions. Usually, at the end of each incarnation's life, the Doctor regenerates; as a result, their physical appearance and personality changes. However, the Fifteenth Doctor emerged unconventionally, via "bi-generation", in which he split from his predecessor, the Fourteenth Doctor's body, rather than replacing him, allowing both incarnations to co-exist. In contrast to his predecessors, Gatwa portrays a Doctor who is attempting to let go of much of his recent emotional trauma, with a more emotionally balanced, liberated, fun-loving, and affectionate outward persona. In contrast to previous Doctors, the Fifteenth Doctor's stories include a greater focus on fantasy elements, intended by showrunner Russell T Davies to "increase the danger" and have a "bigger, wider sense of imagination".[3]
Gatwa had previously been announced as Jodie Whittaker's successor as the programme's lead, and many reports stated he would play the Fourteenth Doctor and that Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor would regenerate into an incarnation portrayed by Gatwa.[1][4] Upon Whittaker's final appearance as the character, she instead regenerated into a form seemingly similar to the Tenth Doctor. This character, portrayed by David Tennant, was confirmed to be the Fourteenth Doctor, with later clarification that Gatwa would portray the Fifteenth Doctor.
His first episode as lead actor aired on 25 December 2023,[5] and his first full series premiered on 11 May 2024.[6]
- ^ a b "Ncuti Gatwa: BBC names actor as next Doctor Who star". BBC News. 8 May 2022.
- ^ Travis, Emlyn. "'Doctor Who' reveals first look at Ncuti Gatwa as 15th Doctor". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ "Russell T. Davies turned to fantasy to make Doctor Who think harder". The Verge. Vox Media Inc. 17 May 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
- ^ Martin Belam (8 May 2022). "Doctor Who: Ncuti Gatwa to replace Jodie Whittaker, BBC announces". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
- ^ Laford, Andrea (6 November 2023). "Doctor Who Christmas special air date and title revealed". CultBox. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
- ^ Kilbane, Aoife (23 October 2022). "Doctor Who: Here they come..." BBC Media Centre. Retrieved 23 October 2022.