Doctor Who season 11: Phoebe Waller-Bridge not playing Thirteenth Doctor
Well, not exactly. The rumors started months ago, and since that time Walker-Bridge has denied here and there the chatter. However, much of it was renewed this week be a Newsnight segment that somehow managed to really get the buzz going because of a Tardis effect, coupled with a line in the season 10 finale “The Doctor Falls” that suggested that we could be getting the first female Doctor soon.
We got probably our firmest denial on Walker-Bridge not being the next Doctor in a post on Twitter from her theatre company DryWrite (see the tweet below) — they seem keen to “save the betting people their money.” For us, it’s always remarkable that people bet on things like the next Doctor Who star in the first place, since often the person taking the part is someone not immediately the subject of buzz. Take, for example, Matt Smith, or even Peter Capaldi given that he wasn’t the favorite to get the part until near the end of the casting process.
Do we think that Walker-Bridge would be great in the role? Certainly, and maybe the stars will align down the road and she will have a chance to play the part. It just doesn’t seem to be happening right now.
The time is nigh
It really doesn’t seem like we will be waiting for too much longer to learn who the next Doctor Who star is. Maybe the BBC will order some sort of flashy special to introduce them in the coming months. Maybe they’ll do the reveal at Comic-Con — though it seems a little unlikely, given that this is a quintessential British TV character and it feels a little odd to release the news at an American convention. One way or another, it does feel like we’re at the home stretch of the process and there isn’t much incentive to keep people waiting a whole lot longer. If new showrunner Chris Chibnall (who will write scenes for the Thirteenth Doctor) already knows who he wants to play the part, it makes sense that the series reveal the news sooner rather than later. Otherwise, you run the risk of people getting the jump on you and spoiling the party for everyone.
The one thing we hope is this: No matter who is cast, hopefully viewers give the new performer a chance. There are certainly going to be people upset about something when they are announced, and it may not even be something they have any control over. We do think the producers and folks in casting have gotten enough right over the years that they deserve an opportunity to prove that they have the best interests of the franchise at heart.
Were you hoping to see Walker-Bridge get the role of Thirteenth Doctor, and who tops your wishlist for now? Be sure to share below!
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