Doctor Who: Does Peter Capaldi Actually Want to Leave?

For all of the speculation about who will take over for Peter Capaldi on Doctor Who, one important question remains: does he actually want to leave the show?

It is easy to understand why people would expect Peter Capaldi to depart from Doctor Who after Series Ten. The show is in the midst of a great deal of change with Bill coming on board as the new companion, and Chris Chibnall coming in as the new showrunner starting with Series Eleven. David Tennant passed the role to Matt Smith when the showrunner position switched from Russell T Davies to Steven Moffat. Will Chibnall expect the same clean slate? On the other hand, the BBC want Capaldi to stay on at least through that series.

It arguably makes sense either way, but there is one factor that is sometimes overlooked when it comes to these visions of the future: what does Capaldi want to do? With the great admiration and respect that the production team have for Capaldi, he is likely to be one of the strongest voices in determining what his fate will be on the show. While he has contemplated leaving, he has not yet made a decision.

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It would make sense for him to stay longer. He certainly understands the history of Doctor Who, and as a fan of the show since childhood, the Doctor was and is his dream role. Now that he has it, why would he want to give it up after such a short period of time? Capaldi will be entering his third season on the show, and none of the previous Doctors of the revival have lasted beyond that third go around. Yet, who is to say that Capaldi does not want to approach the same status as Tom Baker — remaining on the show for such a long time that he would become the epitome of NuWho, as Baker is for the classic years?

While it remains to be seen how Capaldi will feel after Series Ten, at this point he does not appear to have tired of the role. He is still just as involved with the fans, and shows that same joy when he is out there interacting with his fellow Whovians. He really is still just a big fan at heart, and this is apparent when witnessing the obvious joy that he has while helping to expand the outreach of the show. For a great recent example of this, just look at him with a beaming eight-year-old Kai Robertson:

Kai Robertson with Peter Capaldi (credit: greenocktelegraph.co.uk)

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Peter Capaldi still loves being the Doctor. That may be enough to keep him around for some time to come. How long do you think he should stay and why? Let us know in the comments.