Varada Sethu is a second companion to Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor Who, not a replacement for Millie Gibson
By Ashley Hurst
On Christmas Day, new Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa made his debut adventure in the franchise, fighting off goblins in "The Church on Ruby Road," alongside his new companion Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson). The episode was a perfect beginning, setting up Ruby's future story with some intrigue about her upbringing. The upcoming new season will no doubt continue Ruby's story, but in the season after that, we'll be introduced to an all-new companion!
Previous reports suggested that showrunner Russell T. Davies was writing out Millie Gibson's character, but this is all unconfirmed at the moment. What we do know is that Varada Sethu is entering the Whoniverse as a new companion, but she's not replacing Gibson; at least not right away. Ruby Sunday and Sethu's currently unnamed character will share screen time for most of the upcoming 15th season, set to premiere in 2025.
"Right now in the studio, shooting for 2025, we've got Ncuti, Millie and Varada fighting side by side - we need all three, because the stakes are higher than ever!" Davies said, as reported by the BBC.
Varada herself is relishing every moment of her time in the Whoniverse. “I feel like the luckiest person in the world. It is such an honour to be a part of the Whoniverse, and I’m so grateful to the whole family—because that is what they are—for welcoming me with open arms and making me feel so at home,” she said. “I couldn’t ask for a better team than Ncuti and Millie to be on this adventure with, this is SO much fun!”
On Instagram, Sethu shared a behind-the-scenes image with herself alongside co-stars Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson. "Really like it in space actually, thought I’d have another trip," she captioned, no doubt referencing her role in Star Wars series Andor:
Season 14 of Doctor Who (which is also being dubbed as season 1 on Disney+) premieres on May 11. The season consists of eight episodes. Filming is already taking place on season 15, which will commence in 2025. These are exciting times to be a Doctor Who fan!
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