Doctor Who: The War Master will face the Unbound Master in his final series!
By James Aggas
In December, two Masters will fight in the final series of Doctor Who audio spin-off The War Master! But can even a Master from another universe be enough to stop the War Master’s greatest scheme yet?
Well, this is extremely exciting news. For a while now, Anti-Genesis – the final box set in The War Master series starring Derek Jacobi – has been a release from Big Finish that we’ve been greatly looking forward to. The very title alone is more than a nod to the classic Doctor Who serial Genesis of the Daleks.
But now it’s been revealed that Big Finish have something even more exciting planned. The War Master will be planning his boldest scheme yet – and it’ll take another Master entirely to stop him…
Mark Gatiss will be resuming his old role as the Master from the Unbound Universe. Originally playing the role in Sympathy for the Devil back in 2003, this version of the Master comes from a universe where the Doctor never was UNIT’s scientific advisor. A universe that was almost completely destroyed, in fact. And, while he’s shown himself to be charming on many occasions, he’s also just as ruthless as the Masters of the main Doctor Who universe. And – with no ties to the War Master’s past or future – he could be the perfect enemy, too…
When the Master unleashes his boldest scheme yet, is the only one to stop him another Master entirely?
(Photo: Doctor Who: The War Master.. Image Courtesy Big Finish Productions)
Gatiss vs Jacobi
Writer and co-script editor Nicholas Briggs lets us know what to expect when Jacobi’s Master faces Gatiss’s.
"When producer/director Scott Handcock and I came up with the idea of there being an ‘alternative universe’ Master in the fourth War Master box set, we were very excited. We had it in mind that if Mark Gatiss really wasn’t available that we could, in theory and desperation, invent another ‘alternative universe’ Master — but we were really hoping for Mark. And the fact that Mark could make the recording dates makes me very happy indeed. The whole relationship between Derek Jacobi’s War Master and Mark’s Master is an intriguing one that gives many opportunities for stand-out performances from these great actors."
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I must admit, I was already hugely excited about Anti-Genesis. Along with the extremely promising title and the fact that Narvin – one of the greatest characters ever created by Big Finish – features in this one is a huge bonus. Plus, we also have the Daleks showing up – something that surprisingly hasn’t happened in The War Master since the first box set. (Which chronologically, actually takes place last in the series. Could Anti-Genesis lead into Only the Good?)
But the fact that Gatiss’s Master is being brought into our universe is extremely exciting. Gatiss has proved himself to be a strong Master in his own right, so to have him face one of the greatest Masters of the 21st century is hugely appealing. I can hardly wait for December.
The War Master: Anti-Genesis will be released on CD and download directly from Big Finish in December, and you can pre-order it right now.
Next. Who is David Warner’s Unbound Doctor?. dark
Are you excited about Mark Gatiss having a huge role in the War Master’s final box set? Have you listened to the series so far? What are your predictions for Anti-Genesis? Let us know in the comments below.