Doctor Who's main character is almost always a career-defining role for any actor who steps in to lead the show, but there's a certain figure for whom that is certainly not the case. There is a legend of the industry who played the iconic Time Lord in a project that even some hardcore Whovians might not know about. Following the announcement that Doctor Who is thankfully coming back for Christmas 2026, the actor in question could easily return to play the Doctor again for the first time in over two decades.
It should be noted at this point that showrunner Russell T Davies will be writing the script for the upcoming installment, but it hasn't yet been announced whether he has decided who will be playing the Doctor. A new actor could enter the fray, or perhaps a familiar face could temporarily return. I suppose it's also possible that Billie Piper will be the star, but I'm still not ready to accept that the strange regeneration twist that marked Ncuti Gatwa's exit is canon.
I'd love to see Richard E. Grant's Shalka Doctor make a proper live-action debut in the 2026 special
Doctor Who wasn't on the air when the show celebrated its 40th anniversary, but it still found a way to mark the occasion. A six-episode animated series called Scream of the Shalka was released weekly on the BBC website in late 2003, and Richard E. Grant voiced who was, at the time, the Ninth Doctor. The project was initially part of the main canon, but it was scrubbed from the continuity when Davies revived the show in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston as Nine.
Because of how confusing it would have been to have two Ninth Doctors, Grant's version of the Time Lord is now referred to as the Shalka Doctor, after the story in which he debuted. Until 2024, Scream of the Shalka had understandably been left largely unaddressed, but then Doctor Who decided to boldly revive the forgotten series by including a coy reference in "Rogue." When other past actors to have played the Doctor are displayed in holographic form around Gatwa in the episode, Grant's face is among them.
Therefore, it definitely seems as though the Shalka Doctor is canon again somehow, and that "Rogue" was the first glimpse of Grant's character for the first time in a live-action setting. While it could have been a harmless Easter Egg, Doctor Who isn't really the kind of show that believes in such things. Almost everything has a larger meaning, and I think Grant's brief cameo in "Rogue" was the beginning of the Shalka Doctor's comeback.
Why bringing the Shalka Doctor back in 2026 would make sense
Gatwa's era tried some new things for Doctor Who, but not all of them went down all that well. Instead, the episodes that focused on pre-existing canon generally had better receptions than those that introduced new villains and storylines. For example, Gatwa never met the Cybermen on the show, which has become a point of much criticism.
With no actor currently in the full-time role of the Doctor, it would make sense if Davies decided to pen a one-off story with a temporary star rather than providing a direct continuation of "The Reality War." The Doctor's timeline is vast, and it's always fun when we get to witness bonus adventures we don't necessarily expect.
I'm not saying Scream of the Shalka should be recreated in live-action or anything, but seeing Grant reprise his role in a new medium would be a fascinating experience if the right story could be provided. Plus, with the show's reputation taking a hit in recent years, bringing in a star like Grant could be just what Doctor Who needs to help it get back on its feet.