A lot of focus has been placed on the idea of the first female Doctor on Doctor Who. But when will we see a Doctor who is played by an actor of a different race?
Recently, a lot of focus has been placed on the looks of the companions, and the general lack of diversity, on Doctor Who. Pearl Mackie is a change from the typical look of the companion, a younger white woman, yet the concern is still there. Likewise, while there are occasional recurring characters that are outside that archetype, there is the concern that the show does not accurately portray the demographics of the United Kingdom.
There has also been a lot of debate as to whether or not it is the proper time for a female Doctor. We have seen that it is possible for Time Lords to change gender during their regenerations, not just with Missy, but with the general in Hell Bent as well. There, we also learned that Time Lords can change race, as the older white general became a young black woman. And while not technically a Time Lord, one of River’s previous incarnations was Mel.
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Strangely, as the topic of gender has been brought up recently when it pertains to the Doctor, race has not when discussing a possible replacement for Peter Capaldi. That was not always the case, as there was a great deal of discussion about a possible black Doctor replacing Matt Smith when it was announced that he was leaving. In fact, Steven Moffat has revealed that the Twelfth Doctor was going to be black, before the casting fell through.
With Mackie being in the role of the companion, the Doctor’s race is something that should once again be in the forefront. Moffat admitted that it is something the show needs to do better with, especially in putting minorities in different roles in the past, while saying that having both the companion and the Doctor as minorities would be amazing.
Quite frankly, it’s time. Doctor Who has done a relatively solid job in terms of bringing minorities into the show, but there are still issues in terms of having minorities in leading roles. Mackie helps — as did the inclusion of Noel Clarke as Mickey, Freema Agyeman as Martha, and Samuel Anderson as Danny — but those instances have been few and far between.
And it is not just black actors that need to be represented more. Other minority races have been under represented as well on Doctor Who, even when it comes to supporting roles and other recurring characters. it is something that needs to change.
Having a minority Doctor would be a good start, but it needs to go beyond that point. Regardless, it remains time for a black Doctor to come to pass.