Jodie Whittaker doesn’t know who her Doctor Who replacement is

The beginning of the end is just around the corner for the Thirteenth Doctor as Jodie Whittaker prepares to pass the baton down to her successor on Doctor Who. And with season 13 premiering this month, we’re literally just days away from seeing this final season on screen.

With Jodie Whittaker’s time coming to an end, fans have been speculating about who the next Doctor will be. Some thought that It’s a Sin star Olly Alexander is a serious contender for the Doctor, though those rumors have been shut down.

Surely the Doctor herself has to know who’s next in line after her, right? Actually, Whittaker has no idea who the next Doctor will be. “They are never going to tell me who it is [that’s replacing me with],” she said on The Graham Norton Show. “We filmed some scenes, but the new Doctor wasn’t there.”

This means it’s possible that Whittaker has already filmed her final regeneration scene — the one where she transforms from her version of the Doctor to the next. But whoever the next Doctor will be, it looks like that part will be shot separately.

This isn’t the first time the series has transitioned from one Doctor to the next without the two meeting. As Whittaker revealed, she wasn’t there when Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi filmed his regeneration scene. And according to her, the two never actually met officially until they bumped into each other on the street one day.

Doctor Who season 13 premiere is “the biggest story we’ve ever told”

So while neither we nor Jodie Whittaker knows what — or rather “who” — to expect in season 14 of the series, we are starting to learn a bit more about season 13. “I’m not allowed to tell you anything, but I can say the first episode is out on Halloween and it is a six-episode story arc – it’s like a six-hour film and it is amazing,” Whittaker said.

Showrunner Chris Chibnall also shared a few things about the upcoming season in Doctor Who Magazine. Like many productions, Doctor Who was affected by the coronavirus pandemic, which is why Chibnall opted for a shorter season plus three additional specials after that. But they’ll still be well worth watching. “We’re starting at the level you’d normally see in a finale, with cataclysmic events,” Chibnall said. “It’s a very different type of opening episode. In fact, it’s hard to think of one that’s similar in the show’s history.”

"There are multiple new characters, multiple mysteries and more than one antagonist. It sets up the mysteries that we’re going to spend the next few weeks exploring. This is the biggest story we’ve ever told."

Hopefully Chibnall didn’t get in over his head with this ambitious season. I have to praise his innovation in working in an intense environment and still aiming to create the best series possible for viewers. That’s some serious dedication, and I’m really hoping it pays off.

Watch the official trailer for Doctor Who season 13

But while we wait to meet the new Doctor, there’s still another season with Whittaker to enjoy. BBC dropped a trailer for Doctor Who: Flux the other day. Take a look:

Doctor Who season 13 premieres on October 31.

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h/t Radio Times