There’s been growing support in recent years for the idea of having the Doctor regenerate into a woman on Doctor Who. The reveal of a gender-swapped Master last series (now known as Missy) has lent new credence to the suggestion. Now the Seventh Doctor himself, Sylvester McCoy, has given his thoughts on the matter, and it’s not a plan he’s in favor of.
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The comments come from British tabloid The Mirror, and no source is given in the article for where and when McCoy made the remarks, so take that for what it’s worth. With that said, here are McCoy’s words:
"“I’m a feminist and recognise there are still glass ceilings in place for many women, but where would we draw the line? A Mr Marple instead of Miss Marple? A Tarzanette?“I’m sorry, but no – Doctor Who is a male character, just like James Bond. If they changed it to be politically correct then it would ruin the dynamics between the doctor and the assistant, which is a popular part of the show.“I support feminism, but I’m not convinced by the cultural need of a female Doctor Who.”"
The “female Doctor” debate has been in the news again lately due to comments made by the current Doctor Who cast and crew at San Diego Comic-Con earlier this month. During Entertainment Weekly‘s Woman Who Kick Ass panel, Jenna Coleman said of a female Doctor, “I think it’s absolutely possible. There’s absolutely no reason why not.” And Peter Capaldi said in a Press Association interview:
"“I would expect so at some point, I think why not? Absolutely.“I would expect it at any moment. If you turn around right now I might suddenly transform.“You know, in the real world of television it’s not my choice. I love being Doctor Who, I love playing this part and working with Michelle, Jenna, and Steven and the whole team.”"
Showrunner Steven Moffat has previously revealed he’s warming to the idea, but told the crowd at the Doctor Who Comic-Con panel, “Well, there’s no vacancy. I think I’ve made my feelings pretty clear in the context of the show.”
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The Mirror article also quotes Fifth Doctor Peter Davison from 2013: “If you make the Doctor a woman you’ve effectively just said, ‘Well let’s give you a sex change.’ I don’t think that works.”
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All right, let’s settle this. Going back to McCoy’s remarks, I understand where he’s coming from. The Doctor has always been a male character and changing that would be a jarring change. But you can’t compare the Doctor to James Bond or Miss Marple or Tarzan or anyone else. He’s an alien in a far-reaching science-fiction series who literally changes his entire appearance and personality every few years when an actor leaves the show. That’s not just apples and oranges — that’s apples and freaking bowling balls.
I’ll grant you this, though: if there was a 50/50 chance the Doctor could turn out as a woman each time he regenerated, what are the odds he’d manage to make it through 12 regenerations without ONCE becoming female? Well, thankfully there’s a perfect way to make sense of that. When the Eleventh Doctor died in ‘The Time of the Doctor,’ it was his final regeneration — the end, game over, the last goodbye. He only survived because the Time Lords reached through their dimensional lock and granted him a new cycle of regenerations.
So who’s to say what that means for the Doctor? We have no idea! Already it turned the Doctor into a much older male with a much gruffer exterior than we’re used to. Who’s to say the next Doctor couldn’t be female? Or black? Or Chinese? Or gay?
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McCoy also uses the weak argument that a female Doctor would change the dynamic between the Doctor and his assistant/companion(s). To which I say: you’re damn right it would, and it’s about time! The Doctor/companion dynamic has gotten incredibly stale, if you ask me. A female Doctor with a male companion would be an amazing change of pace. Or perhaps the female Doctor would be a lesbian, completely flipping that flirtatious Doctor/companion relationship on its head!
Any any rate, I absolutely love Peter Capaldi’s take on the Doctor, so I’m hopeful we won’t have to worry about the next Doctor for many years. But when the time comes, let’s keep all options on the table.
What do you think? Would you welcome a female Doctor into the TARDIS? Sound off in the comments below!