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Peter Capaldi doesn’t want to be in Doctor Who 60th anniversary show

By Michael East

BERLIN, GERMANY - JULY 17: Peter Capaldi of the British television series Dr. Who speaks at the Apple Store on July 17, 2015 in Berlin, Germany. The show is expected to return for a 10th series. (Photo by Adam Berry/Getty Images)
BERLIN, GERMANY - JULY 17: Peter Capaldi of the British television series Dr. Who speaks at the Apple Store on July 17, 2015 in Berlin, Germany. The show is expected to return for a 10th series. (Photo by Adam Berry/Getty Images) /
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Peter Capaldi surprised many during his time in Doctor Who. While the scripts had started to wane in quality by the time he signed on, Capaldi always pulled out episode-saving performances that left many believing he was the most underserved actor to ever star in the role. However, despite being a lifelong fan, Capaldi won’t be returning to the show anytime soon, including for the show’s 60th anniversary special next year.

Speaking to SFX Magazine in a feature about his new psychological thriller The Devil’s Hour, the Twelfth Doctor actor doesn’t seem to be a fan of the traditional anniversary multi-Doctor stories. “It’s very hard to imagine how you’d get a decent crack of the whip when there’s 14 of you, you know? So I think I’d rather leave it as is because I loved my time on Doctor Who and loved doing it,” he said. “I don’t want to be Doctor Who’s assistant. [Laughs] It used to drive me insane on Doctor Who, not being able to talk about anything. It’s like, ‘Who cares?!’ But then I get into trouble.”

Capaldi joined Doctor Who after Matt Smith — currently the star of HBO’s House of the Dragon — left. His tenure coincided with a downturn in ratings. While some have ungenerously said fans weren’t accepting of an older actor in the role, others have suggested that then-showrunner Steven Moffat had exhausted his abilities following the departures of Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill (Amy and Rory). In either case, the downturn in the show’s fortunes certainly began before current showrunner Chris Chibnall.

Peter Capaldi felt the responsibility of being Doctor Who

Despite this, most fans praised Capaldi himself as the Doctor. Many believe his performances are amongst the best in the show’s long history, and will no doubt be upset not to see him get another run under Russell T. Davies, the former showrunner who is returning for both the 60th anniversary special and the upcoming 14th season.

For his part, Capaldi enjoyed his time in the role, having been a fan of the show since its very early days in the 1960s when William Hartnell was the Time Lord.

"In a way, when you’re Doctor Who, you sort of become another person. Because you sort of embody that when you’re in public, so you have to be able to turn that on. But it’s not necessarily natural to all of us. It’s true – I’ve talked to the others about it. You don’t want to disappoint people; you really don’t."

Capaldi hasn’t been short of work since leaving Doctor Who, starring in The Suicide Squad as part of an ensemble cast and in the new thriller The Devil’s Hour, produced by Moffat for Amazon Prime. Doctor Who will return this November to mark the BBC’s 100th anniversary.

Next. Ncuti Gatwa was like a “thunderbolt” in Doctor Who audition. dark

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