The Thirteenth Doctor may leave after the upcoming 13th season of Doctor Who. Smells like kismet. And the BBC isn’t denying it.
This past weekend, the BBC aired its annual Doctor Who holiday special. This one, “Revolution of the Daleks,” marked the last time that actors Bradley Walsh (Graham) and Tosin Cole (Ryan) appeared as regulars on the show, meaning that in the upcoming season 13, the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) and Yaz (Mandip Gill) will be traveling the cosmos solo, at least until the new companion played by comedian John Bishop comes aboard the TARDIS.
But if Nicola Methven of The Daily Mirror can be believed, and she is known to be well-connected, their time together will be relatively short. The Mirror reports that Whittaker will leave the role of the Doctor after season 13.
“It’s all very hush-hush but it is known on set that Jodie is leaving and they are gearing up for a regeneration,” a source told Methven. “Her departure is top secret but at some point over the coming months the arrival of the 14th Doctor will need to be filmed.”
If Whittaker does leave after the upcoming season, she’ll keep pace with the three Doctor actors who came before her — David Tennant, Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi — all of whom stayed on for three seasons before moving on. (Christopher Eccleston, who kicked off the Doctor Who revival as the ninth Doctor, lasted only one season.)
At the moment, this remains a rumor, but it’s notable that a BBC spokesperson wouldn’t outright shoot it down. “We won’t be commenting on any speculation around Jodie’s future on the show,” they said.
And it would make sense. Whittaker plays the Thirteenth Doctor, so it would feel about right for her to leave after season 13. Whenever she goes, as the first female Doctor in the show’s nearly 60-year history, she’s definitely left her mark.
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h/t Deadline