Doctor Who To See Tom Hanks in the Future?

Given the surge in popularity that Doctor Who has had over the past few years, it is no surprise that bigger names are appearing on the show. Not only is Peter Capaldi, quite the accomplished actor in his own right, the Doctor, but there have been appearances by such actors and actresses as Maisie Williams, Rufus Hound and Olivia Colman, among others. Truly recognizable names are coming to the Whoniverse, and in some cases, even staying around for a while.

Yet, for as much of an impact as these guest stars have had, Capaldi is not content. Indeed, he has his eyes set on bringing in even bigger names. Capaldi has already stated his desire to have David Bowie and Keith Richards make guest appearances, perhaps leading to a fun musical act with the Doctor, but he is not about to stop there. Now, he has his eyes on getting Tom Hanks to appear in an episode of Doctor Who.

Unfortunately, this does not appear as though it will happen in the near future. According to Capaldi, Hanks is quite busy at the moment, which would preclude an appearance on the show. However, that does not shut the door on a possible role sometime in the future.

Getting an actor on the level of Tom Hanks would certainly seem to be a pipe dream. Doctor Who, for all of its popularity, is still not at the point where actors like Hanks would be making appearances. he is, after all, a truly huge name in the movie industry, one that commands millions of dollars per movie. Would it be worth his time to set foot in the Whoniverse?

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It is also a somewhat odd point in time for Capaldi to be courting actors such as Hanks to be appearing on Doctor Who. There have been plenty of rumors in the past couple of months that the BBC is having financial issues, and bringing in an actor of Hanks caliber would likely be quite costly indeed. Even though that episode would likely be quite the ratings boost, would it be worth the cost?

Nonetheless, it would be interesting to see the sort of role that Hanks would have. Williams has become a recurring character, at least for this season, and Ashildr will be having an important role as she helps those who the Doctor left behind. While Hanks would likely be around for only one or two episodes, his character would likely have a dramatic affect upon the Doctor.

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Maybe, at some point in the future, Tom Hanks will make an appearance on Doctor Who. Just the fact that he could be asked, and not laugh off the suggestion, speaks volumes as to how far the show has come.