Comic-Con 2015: 5 Doctor Who Announcement Predictions

San Diego Comic-Con 2015 runs from July 9-12, with a July 8 preview night.

(Credit: SDCC)

This week is shaping up to be one of the biggest events in years when it comes to Doctor Who news and announcements. San Diego Comic-Con is always home to tons of news and reveals when it comes to our favorite television shows, movies, and comics, but the potential for major Doctor Who announcements is higher than ever.

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The focal point for Doctor Who fans will be the BBC America Doctor Who panel on Thursday at 2:15 PM PST, with Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, Michelle Gomez, and Steven Moffat. But there are also panels from Doctor Who‘s comic book publisher, Titan Comics, Torchwood star John Barrowman, and former Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith. And LEGO just announced they’ll be showing off new details of their upcoming videogame, LEGO Dimensions, which features Doctor Who.

So what will be the biggest Doctor Who announcements? Anything and everything is possible, but I have a few predictions.

Next: 5. Another Brick in the Wall

LEGO has announced that Doctor Who star Peter Capaldi will reprise his role as the Doctor in their upcoming videogame, LEGO Dimensions, with more details coming later this week at San Diego Comic-Con 2015!

(Credit: LEGO/WB Interactive)

5. Doctor Who LEGO Dimensions Footage

LEGO and Warner Bros. Interactive have revealed precious little in the way of actual gameplay footage from their upcoming game, LEGO Dimensions. A recent teaser showcased characters and gameplay from the Portal franchise, and previous footage has focused on Back to the Future and LEGO Movie characters.

Yesterday, LEGO announced on Twitter that Peter Capaldi will be voicing the Twelfth Doctor in LEGO Dimensions and teased that more details will be coming on Thursday, July 8 at Comic-Con 2015. There’s no word on what that means, but I’m willing to guess we’ll hear a lot more details about the game itself and (finally) see some footage of the Doctor Who levels and characters in action. It seems odd to prominently tease Capaldi and Doctor Who and not follow that up with some gameplay footage.

Next: 4. See You in the Funny Pages

(Credit: io9/Titan Comics)

4. The Next Doctor Who Comic Book Miniseries

The fact that Titan Comics is revealing the next Doctor Who comic book miniseries at Comic-Con is not a prediction; they’ve said as much when they scheduled their Saturday panel. What that miniseries will be about, though, is anyone’s guess.

Recently, Titan gave the Ninth Doctor a limited run miniseries, and next month will see the release of Four Doctors, featuring the Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Doctors, plus a prologue with the War Doctor. So what’s next? One guess would be another Ninth Doctor miniseries, possibly a sequel to this year’s event.

Or they could announce a spin-off of sorts, focusing on the War Doctor or other secondary characters like the Paternoster Gang. My prediction (or hope?) is that we’ll see something focusing on the classic doctors. Maybe a crossover with the Tenth, Eleventh, or Twelfth Doctors with one of the original series Doctors, or just a miniseries solely starring one of the classic Doctors.

Next: 3. Mark Your Calendar and Clear All Your Appointments

This is pretty much the highlight of the 10-second Doctor Who Series 9 teaser trailer released by BBC America this weekend.

(Credit: BBC America)

3. Series 9 Premiere Date

It’s odd that we haven’t gotten a firm date for Doctor Who‘s return, only a vague indication that it’s returning “this fall.” The only explanation I can think of is that the announcement is being held back until Comic-Con.

A few weeks ago, Doctor Who producer Nikki Wilson caused a stir when she answered a fan’s question on Twitter by saying, “We’ll be back in September.” The tweet was then quickly deleted, presumably when Wilson realized she’d jumped the gun.

I think we can count on knowing exactly when to plan our premiere parties by the end of the week.

Next: 2. The Whole Enchilada

2. Full Doctor Who Series 9 Episode Titles

Only four Series 9 episode titles have been released so far. The season will open with the two-parter ‘The Magician’s Apprentice’/’The Witch’s Familiar,’ and episodes 5 & 6 with Game of Thrones‘ Maisie Williams are titled ‘The Girl Who Died’ and ‘The Woman Who Lived.’

We have writer/director credits for all 12 episodes, and at least some hint of story for all of them except the final two. Guest stars for every episode have been announced as well. So while there’s little doubt we’ll learn more about all 12 episodes at Comic-Con, the biggest clues of all could be in the reveal of the episode titles themselves.

Next: 1. The Tease to End All Teases

In this exclusive first-look photo from the Doctor Who Series 9 premiere, star Peter Capaldi says “the Doctor about to make a mistake that has cataclysmic repercussions.”

(Credit: Entertainment Weekly)

1. A Full Doctor Who Series 9 Trailer

Let’s face it: this is what we all want to see. They can talk about it all day long, they can release set photos and official stills, but we want to see the new season in action.

When Doctor Who last came to Comic-Con, it was in 2013 and Whovians everywhere were dying for news of the upcoming 50th anniversary special. Much to the dismay of fans around the world, a special trailer was shown to the audience gathered at the Doctor Who panel, but wasn’t released online. Except for the select few in attendance that day, Doctor Who fans had to wait three more months to see a trailer for ‘The Day of the Doctor.’

I think it’s almost downright inevitable that a trailer for Series 9 will be shown to the audience at this year’s Comic-Con. The question is whether the BBC learned their lesson from the massive fan backlash they received in 2013 and make the move to release the trailer online, as well.

Next: Comic-Con 2015: A Guide to All Doctor Who Events

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