Doctor Who season 15: Why did Ncuti Gatwa leave?
What exactly happened to cause Ncuti Gatwa to leave Doctor Who following the end of season 15? It is fair to wonder at this point. After all, it all feels so sudden in some ways — just remember that several months ago, the actor himself said at a talk-show taping that he hoped to film another season this year.
So how did we get here? Well, let’s just say that these exits are often complicated; at the very least, it does not seem like the show’s (fantastic) star was forced out.
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Rather, a good bit of internet scuttlebutt had pieced together a few different things that could explain where we are. First and foremost, a portion of a TVLine that notes that there was an original ending to the season that was later changed. There were also some reported reshoots that happened earlier this year for the finale, suggesting that the plan was altered at some point following the initial filming of season 15.
So how did we get here? Well, this is where you can navigate more into the realm of conjecture. If it was Gatwa’s decision to leave, the conventional wisdom here is that the move was made in order to ensure that he could have opportunity to pursue other opportunities; otherwise, he would be left waiting in the wings for Disney+ to figure out whether or not they want to bring the show back under their international distribution. There is no clear timetable on that and while we tend to think that BBC One will continue to air Doctor Who in some form, it feels like 2027 is the absolute earliest we could see it back.
Someday, we do hope that Ncuti does get a chance to at least make another cameo — especially if he did have to leave due to changing circumstances that were hard to predict.
How much are you going to miss Ncuti Gatwa as the star of Doctor Who?
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