2026 Doctor Who casting could make or break the long-running series

Movieweb reports that the actor cast as the Doctor for the 2026 Christmas special could determine the future of the 63‑year‑old Doctor Who franchise.

The article notes recent, controversial regeneration twists — including a sequence that returned Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor to the face of David Tennant and a later episode that replaced Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor with Billie Piper in a role the episode itself did not credit as the Doctor. It argues these shock casting choices and other gimmicks have become relied on too heavily and that Disney stepping back as co‑producer leaves the show once more solely in the BBC's hands as it prepares a Christmas special later this year.

The piece says the BBC has not announced who will lead the series when it returns, and that various fan theories and industry rumors suggest Russell T Davies may bring back an existing Doctor for the 2026 special. It argues a brand‑new lead would better serve a soft reboot to welcome new viewers, while also saying Davies' 2026 script should ideally undo the recent confusing twist.

Key Topics

Culture, Doctor Who, David Tennant, Billie Piper, Ncuti Gatwa, Russell T Davies