Doctor Who news: The War Doctor Begins in 2021!
By James Aggas
Next year, the origins of a unique Doctor will be explored in the new audio series Doctor Who: The War Doctor Begins!
Well. This is extremely exciting news. In Jun 2021, Big Finish will begin a brand new series that explores the early days of one of Doctor Who‘s most briefly seen incarnations: the War Doctor.
Originally introduced for the show’s fiftieth anniversary in 2013, the War Doctor was a fascinating incarnation to explore. A version of the Doctor that gave up his name to fight in the Time War, he only fully appeared in The Day of the Doctor. But, thanks to a brilliant performance by John Hurt, he worked so well on his own terms that fans wanted more.
And in 2015, Big Finish did just that. Five years ago this month, in one of their biggest ever announcements, (with perhaps only Christopher Eccleston’s return being even bigger,) it was revealed that John Hurt would play the role again, this time in a brand new audio series called Doctor Who: The War Doctor. From 2015 to 2017, we got twelve exciting new adventures of the War Doctor, and hearing Hurt embrace the role so fully was a joy to hear. Sadly, John Hurt’s passing on Jan 25 2017 meant that there could be no more War Doctor stories.
At least, until now.
John Hurt’s role in Doctor Who was brief but much-loved. Who will be stepping into his shoes and play his iconic incarnation?
Image credit: Doctor Who/BBC. Image obtained from: BBC America.
The War Doctor Begins
Beginning in Jun 2021, Doctor Who: The War Doctor Begins explores the earliest days of this unique incarnation. This is actually an extremely exciting prospect, as the original War Doctor series was set relatively late in the War Doctor’s life. And, based on his extremely young appearance at the end of The Night of the Doctor, it’s clear that the War Doctor fought in the Time War for an extremely long time.
So who will be playing the incarnation originally made famous by John Hurt? Newcomer Jonathan Carley, who will star in four upcoming box sets in the series. Understandably, he’s extremely excited to be playing such a major role.
"Stepping into the sturdy boots of a character established by the late, great Sir John Hurt would be a challenge for any actor. But the team have been so supportive and creative in their approach to exploring further facets of this complex incarnation."
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Exploring the War Doctor’s early days
Big Finish creative director Nicholas Briggs is also more than happy with the casting of Carley as the War Doctor.
"Jonathon is a real find. Many will be familiar with the uncanny accuracy of his War Doctor vocals from various online projects. But there’s more to a good performance than just an impersonation. You need imagination, emotion, sensitivity… essentially, great acting!"
Right now, we don’t know anything about either the writers or the story details. But regardless, this is definitely an exciting series, one that could answer many questions about the War Doctor’s earliest days. What happened right after The Night of the Doctor? How did he learn to become a warrior? How difficult was it for him to give up the name of the Doctor? We’re extremely excited to find out.
You can pre-order each volume of Doctor Who: The War Doctor Begins right now on CD or download for £19.99, or even pre-order all four in a bundle for £66 from Big Finish’s website.
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Are you excited by this news? Do you think the War Doctor’s earliest days should be explored? Or should they be left shrouded in mystery? Let us know in the comments below.