Peter Capaldi portrayed the 12th Doctor in 39 episodes of Doctor Who, from 2013 to 2017. His run was a mixed bag, but fans still look back on his era with good memories. And unlike previous Doctors David Tennant and Matt Smith, Capaldi has not reprised his role for a cameo since leaving, and he doesn't really have any inclination to do so.
What Capaldi has over other Doctors is a rich history of playing other characters throughout the Whoniverse. Way back in 2008, he played Roman merchant Caecilius in "The Fires of Pompeii," opposite David Tennant's version of the Doctor. And then a year later he played key character John Frobisher on spinoff series Torchwood: Children of Earth.
Given Capaldi's tendencies to keep coming back to Doctor Who, fans are hoping he'll one day make a triumphant return as the Doctor himself. In the Whoniverse, anything is possible. I mean, David Tennant returned to the role as the fourteenth incarnation of the Time Lord in 2022 for a trio of all-new episodes. The writers would have no problems finding a way to weave Capaldi back into the narrative if they wanted. That said, Capaldi himself isn't enthusiastic about reprising the role, which is a big hurdle.
"I'm still a huge fan of Doctor Who. It's not that I have anything against it, but there comes a time when you have to leave things alone," he told Hello Magazine. "I can't imagine the situation in which I'd be able to go back into it with enough influence over how it was going to be."
Capaldi wouldn't be the only Doctor from the New Who era not to reprise his role. Christopher Eccleston, who kicked off the Doctor Who revival series back in 2005, hasn't returned, and he's not at all interested on being in the show again. Moreover, 13th Doctor actor Jodie Whittaker hasn't reappeared yet; granted, she was only recently the Doctor.
Doctor Who returns for its traditional Christmas Special, "Joy to the World," on Christmas Day. Ncuti Gatwa's Fifteenth Doctor will return for his second season in 2025.
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