Six Game of Thrones actors who should play the next Doctor in Doctor Who

Fans of the BBC’s long-running Doctor Who will be aware that lead actor Peter Capaldi has announced that he is leaving the series at the end of 2017. Since Capaldi’s announcement, a small but determined faction of Twitter users have started to lobby for a new face for the good Doctor: none other than Game of Thrones‘ Gemma Whelan, aka Yara Greyjoy. It’s an interesting proposition, and one that Whelan herself supports.

If she can bring the fox from her profile picture aboard the TARDIS with her, I’m up for it.

https://twitter.com/F8ng0rn/status/826554291964018691

Fun fact: the Sue Perkins referenced above has hosted Thronecast, the UK Game of Thrones aftershow, since 2014.

There is a movement to get a woman to play the Doctor—the frequently reincarnated character has been played by a man since the show debuted in 1963. Why not a woman who’s also a Game of Thrones star?

Doctor Who has already played host to several actors from Game of Thrones. Liam Cunningham (Davos), Joe Dempsie (Gendry) and Diana Rigg (Olenna Tyrell) have all encountered Gallifrey’s greatest Time Lord, as well as many others. Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) even had an important recurring role as Ashildr/Me in the ninth series of the show.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the other actors on Game of Thrones and speculate on how well they could slip into the shoes of the departing Doctor.

Next: Brothers and sisters are doing it for themselves

Gemma Whelan

For the benefit of those who haven’t heard her spirited audio commentary on Season 6’s “The Door,” I’ll lay it out for you: Gemma Whelan is hilarious. The talented actress is also an award-winning comedian, performing stand-up as both herself and her comedic alter ego, Chastity Butterworth. Chastity, “a delicious flirt and doyenne of the double entendre,” according to Whelan, has her own show on BBC’s Radio 4. In fact, the legendary Charles Dance (Tywin Lannister) recently guest-starred. I’ve listened and thoroughly enjoyed it. If the BBC wants to hark back to the more comedic tones of David Tennant’s Doctor, Whelan would be well-placed to take up the mantle. And of course, we know from her time as Yara that she can bring drama and gravitas, as well.

Alfie Allen

Alfie Allen deserves a place on any list of this nature because I firmly believe that he’s one of the best actors in Britain, and the best young actor on Game of Thrones. Allen’s strength lies in his believably and consistency. Theon Greyjoy has gone through a lot of changes on the show, and has conveyed every thought and decision with convincing realism.

Allen is an actor who truly empathizes with his characters, and his emotions feel as real as if he is Theon. In a show like Doctor Who, which freely explores the fantastical, Allen could be just what’s needed to keep it rooted in reality.

Next: Snakes and spiders

Indira Varma

Before anybody points out that Dorne hasn’t done anything right since Oberyn died, I’ll just say this: Indira Varma is making some pretty sweet lemonade with the lemons she’s been given. The character of Ellaria Sand spun out of control when the writers stripped her of common sense, but Varma still manages to show us that her motivations are rooted in real emotion. She is a capable actress with a commanding presence on screen, thanks in part to her striking appearance. If the BBC was looking for an actress to embody an air of mystery in the next Doctor, she’d be a good choice.

Varma is also no stranger to the Who universe. She once held a small-but-crucial role in its sister show, Torchwood.

Conleth Hill

After Matt Smith retired as the Doctor in 2013, the show replaced him with Peter Capaldi, who was markedly older. If the show wants to continue in that vein, I can’t think of a better choice than the talented Mr. Hill. For one, the 52-year-old actor is markedly unlike any of the other actors who have embodied the role since the show’s revival in 2005, so casting him would be a breath of fresh air. He oozes charm and humor, and I can picture him as a man who has lived many lives and possesses an endless wealth of knowledge.

Also, he has hair. He’s not bald and he deserves a chance to show it.

Give him long, flowing locks and an Austin Powers-style cravat. He could work it.

Next: Heroes and villains

Gwendoline Christie

If the Doctor’s next incarnation is female, then my first pick for the job would be this lady right here. Although she plays it serious as Brienne of Tarth, the real life Christie is a whirlwind of dynamism and glamour. She’s also passionate. When the part of Brienne came up in 2011, Christie was so determined to get the job that she read all the Song of Ice and Fire books currently available, endured months of physical training and cut her hair. Her eloquence and energy would certainly shake up the established Doctor Who universe, but she would also have no trouble playing the character’s many eccentricities. Plus, she could always bring Daniel Portman (Podrick) on board as the Doctor’s companion. Who wouldn’t like to see Brienne and Pod travel through time and space?

Iwan Rheon

Unlike some of the other actors on this list, Rheon has already been named among the “favorites” to replace Capaldi as the Doctor, and it’s easy to see why. Rheon is one of the most versatile young actors working in Britain today. Looking for an affable, charming goof? He’s your man. Or perhaps you’d prefer a darker, more tortured Doctor? He can handle it. As an actor, he often uses his physicality to help us to understand the characters he plays to great effect. Think of Ramsay’s chilling smile as Jon Snow laid into him in “Battle of the Bastards,” or of the stooped, wide-eyed awkwardness of Misfits’ Simon Bellamy, another role in which Rheon excelled. He seems like a natural fit for the TARDIS.

Are there any actors who should have made the list? Sound off in the comments!

h/t Daily Mail