When Doctor Who fans watched the season 2 finale, "The Reality War," everyone was hugely surprised to find that the journey had reached its conclusion for Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor. But what instantly became the huge talking point was what happened next: the Fifthteenth Doctor regenerated into none other than Billie Piper. What!?
Of course, Billie Piper previously played the Doctor's companion Rose Tyler alongside Chris Eccleston's Ninth Doctor and David Tennant's Tenth Doctor. The first companion of the 'New Who' era, Piper's character has cult status in the fandom, even making a couple of guest appearances over the years, notably in the 50th anniversary special.
There were always mumblings that Piper would return to the Whoniverse; when a character is as popular as Rose, bringing her back makes a lot of sense, and the cosmology of Doctor Who is flexible enough to allow it. Everyone loves a bit of fan service. But seeing her as the titular Time Lord caught everyone off guard.
As for what the future has in store, showrunner Russell T Davies is being very tight-lipped. In fact, he even refuses to confirm that Rose Tyler is officially the Sixteenth Doctor. When asked about the regeneration by Your Manchester, and whether Piper is taking on the role on a permanent basis, Davies simply shrugged and said, "I have no idea."
This could be him being deliberately coy, or is could mean that the future of Doctor Who is still up in the air. Davies has previously said that the series might take a "pause." Given that the first two seasons of the rebooted series underperformed (at least by Disney's immense standards), the deal between Disney and the BBC is unlikely to continue. The franchise would undoubtedly continue on its eternal home at the BBC, but it wouldn't have the immense financial backing of the House of Mouse.
We'll absolutely see Billie Piper as the Doctor in upcoming episodes; whether that's for a couple of specials or on a permanent basis remains to be seen. But I don't think they'll retcon it now.
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