Time's up: which actor could replace Jodie Whittaker in Doctor Who?
If the rumours are true – and they are only rumours – then Jodie Whittaker’s time on Doctor Who may be coming to an end. The Daily Mirror has reported that Whittaker’s next series in the role will be her last, with “an insider” saying: “Her departure is top secret, but at some point over the coming months the arrival of the 14th Doctor will need to be filmed. It’s very exciting.” (Quite how something can be top secret while also being splashed across a newspaper remains a mystery.)
It wouldn’t be a total shock if Whittaker were to go, because the upcoming series will be her third. Peter Capaldi left Doctor Who after three series. So did Matt Smith. So did David Tennant, Sylvester McCoy, Colin Baker, Peter Davidson and Patrick Troughton. She would be replicating the pattern.
However, there is something about Whittaker’s Doctor that still feels new, possibly because of how frustratingly half-formed she feels. She hasn’t been given a chance to reach her potential, instead spending her episodes pinging about without agency, insulated from any action by her millions and millions of companions. Whittaker comes across as funny, sharp, dorky and silly in interviews, but all she has demonstrated on the show is an ability to be simultaneously confused and out of breath. She is a better Doctor in real life than the material she has been given, which is a crying shame.
If this is it for Whittaker, perhaps she will bow out with a run of episodes that finally do her justice. Either way, it is time to start thinking about her replacement. Luckily, I have some ideas.
Michael Sheen
It is infuriating that Sheen hasn’t starred as the Doctor yet. There probably isn’t an actor working today more suited to the role. He can play broad comedy in the same breath as searching drama. He is enamoured with sci-fi and fantasy, appearing in Good Omens and Underworld and Tron: Legacy. He lives in Wales, about half an hour from where the show is filmed. He is working with the BBC right now, on Staged, and his co-star ( Tennant) is a former Doctor. Think about Sheen leaping around inside a Tardis. Think about how perfectly that works in your head. How on earth has this not happened yet? Sheen would be the best Doctor of all time and he must be given the role immediately.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Remember when Capaldi left Doctor Who and Whittaker’s appointment was yet to be announced? Do you remember how wild everyone went for the idea that Waller-Bridge could be the Doctor? The enthusiasm was so intense that Waller-Bridge had to deny the claim on Twitter, just to silence the din. This is because she would be an incredible Doctor. She is more aloof and withering than Whittaker, sure, but quick-footed and elegant with it. She might suffer from the same problem as
Sheen, in that she is better than the material available, but watch that video of her dancing with Harry Styles. That is exactly what you want from a Doctor, isn’t it?
Ben Whishaw
The main problem with Whishaw becoming the Doctor is that he really doesn’t want the role. He was the frontrunner when Smith left. Later, when Whittaker got the role, one of her first fan interactions was with a girl who was upset that Whishaw wasn’t cast in her place. Whenever the subject is brought up, Whishaw points out that he isn’t interested. It is a shame, be
cause he would be brilliant. Maybe he will change his mind this time.
Paapa Essiedu
Essiedu had one of the best 2020s going, having starred in I May Destroy You and Gangs of London. He is in the rare position where he can do anything he likes. He could move to Hollywood and become an A-lister. He could double down on his dramatic roots and make something truly electrifying. Or he could go to Cardiff and run around a load of anonymous corridors in a swishy coat. He almost definitely won’t do the latter. But it would be great if he did.
Camille Cottin
I am only adding Cottin to the list because I spent Christmas almost exclusively rewatching Call My Agent, but wouldn’t she be tremendous? She isn’t British, of course, but who said the Doctor can’t be intimidatingly French? Maybe that is what could breathe new life into Doctor Who: a haughty, dismissive Doctor who has adapted the sonic screwdriver into a vape pen. Argue with me on this if you like, but you would be wrong.