Warning: Spoilers ahead for Doctor Who season 15, episode 8, “The Reality War.”Ncuti Gatwa made it immediately clear what he wanted to do during his time on Doctor Who, and now it looks like he’ll never have that wish fulfilled. After just two seasons in the TARDIS, the Fifteenth Doctor regenerated into Billie Piper in the season 15 finale, “The Reality War.” While it’s unclear whether Piper has been cast as the Sixteenth Doctor, Gatwa has been confirmed as being done with the show, at least for the foreseeable future. So, Gatwa’s time leading the Doctor Who season 15 cast was his last proper shot at ticking one of his biggest boxes.

The end of “The Reality War” turned out to be Ncuti Gatwa’s final regular appearance as the Fifteenth Doctor, confirming the rumors that he had shot a regeneration scene. As the first (and possibly only) new version of the Time Lord introduced in Doctor Who‘s Disney era, he holds a unique place within the show’s 62-year history. Gatwa’s era is hallmarked by the introduction of several new villains, such as Doctor Who‘s Pantheon of Gods. Bad guys from Doctor Who‘s classic era did return, but they weren’t the ones Gatwa said he dreamed of facing.

Ncuti Gatwa Never Got To Face The Daleks (Or Any Of Doctor Who’s Big 3 Villains)

Fifteen didn’t cross paths with the Master or the Cybermen either

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly ahead of Doctor Who season 14, Gatwa discussed the rumors he’d heard circulating that the plan was for Fifteen to never face the Daleks. He said he’d be “so angry if that’s the case,” and jokingly questioned whether being the Doctor was worthwhile if he never got to do battle with the show’s most iconic villains. Unfortunately, the rumors turned out to be true. The Daleks were name-dropped a few times, but they didn’t appear in any of Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor Who episodes.

To make matters worse, Gatwa didn’t just fail to come up against the Daleks, but also Doctor Who‘s other two most famous villains: the Cybermen and the Master. Instead, new antagonists like the Goblins in “The Church in Ruby Road” and Jinkx Monsoon’s Maestro in “The Devil’s Chord” were written to oppose the Fifteenth Doctor. He also came up against some fairly unique challenges, like being discriminated against for the color of his skin in “Dot and Bubble,” disappearing entirely in “73 Yards,” and even conspiracy theories in “Lucky Day.”

Granted, Doctor Who has had a long history of overusing the Daleks, and the same is true of the various iterations of the Master, and the Cybermen. So, it’s probably for the best that Gatwa’s era rested them for two full seasons, so that they feel fresher if and when they return to the show. Plus, there is the added bonus of most of the new Gatwa-era villains having the possibility of returning, making the Doctor’s catalog of recurring bad guys more varied.

Ncuti Gatwa’s Hope Of Fighting Daleks Isn’t Completely Lost

Fifteen can still return in a multi-Doctor Dalek adventure

Even though Gatwa has now left Doctor Who, that doesn’t mean he can’t return someday for a special occasion. There have been various instances where former actors who have played the Doctor have come back to reprise their role – just ask David Tennant. This is often, but not always, in the context of a multi-Doctor story – again, ask David Tennant! Gatwa’s comments about his time on the show have been resoundingly positive, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he one day decided to accept an invitation to appear in Doctor Who again.

So, the door is open for an eventual Ncuti Gatwa Doctor Who comeback, which could pair him off with one or more of his predecessors or successors for a multi-Doctor story against the Daleks. Of course, this is a long shot at best, as even Doctor Who season 16 has yet to be confirmed, and even if it is, I can’t see Fifteen coming back to the story so soon after his departure. However, it does at least make it possible that Gatwa will one day get to achieve an unrealized Doctor Who dream.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Doctor Who

5/10

Release Date

December 25, 2023

Directors

Douglas Camfield, David Maloney, Christopher Barry, Michael E. Briant, Barry Letts, Michael Ferguson, Richard Martin, Peter Moffatt, Pennant Roberts, Lennie Mayne, Chris Clough, Ron Jones, Paddy Russell, Paul Bernard, Michael Hayes, Timothy Combe, Morris Barry, Gerald Blake, Graeme Harper, Waris Hussein, Rodney Bennett, Mervyn Pinfield, Hugh David, John Gorrie

Writers

Russell T. Davies, Dave Gibbons, Kate Herron, Steven Moffat

Franchise(s)

Doctor Who / Whoniverse