‘Doctor Who’ season 8: To think, we almost never would have needed diversity debate

Ever since the casting search began for a replacement for Matt Smith as The Doctor, there was one question that many fans were curious for an answer to. Is it possible that we could have a black or other minority actor starring in this role? This went hand in hand with questions about a female Doctor, and the answer from many was always the same: The person to play the character is simply going to be the best person available.

With that we bring to you now the reported news that Smith was actually not the first person supposedly offered his role, and that there was a black actor who turned The Doctor part down. This is according to author and longtime “Doctor Who” fan Neil Gaiman, who has written a few episodes for the series. In a post on Tumblr, he shared his thoughts on the matter while making the all-important revelation:

“Would I like a person of colour as the Doctor? Absolutely. I know one black actor who was already offered the part of the doctor, and who turned it down.”

While there are claims that this actor is Chiwetel Ejiofor, there is no confirmation from the actor or the BBC that this is true. It is just interesting to think that we would not be having this debate in 2013 had a black actor been chosen for the part; then again, we also would have been deprived of a great Doctor in Smith, who along with David Tennant helped to turn the show into an international sensation even more than just a cult British favorite that had niche audiences in other countries.

What do you make of this revelation? If you missed some news from this weekend about Peter Capaldi serving as the next Doctor, you can read more about it over at this link.

Photo: BBC One