Doctor Who is currently in a holding pattern. Although the franchise is still active with projects like audio dramas and comics, the flagship property is out of production in the wake of Russell T Davies' second exit as showrunner. The BBC insists Doctor Who isn't canceled, and I'm willing to take them at their word. Even if it very much seems like we're in for a long wait before we get more episodes.
While Billie Piper's face was the last one we saw leaning out of the TARDIS, it's generally expected that Davies' random casting stunt to try and stoke the dying embers of the fandom will be explained away as quickly as possible when Doctor Who returns. Then, a new face of the franchise will probably be introduced. On the other hand, two actors who have formerly played the Doctor have confirmed they would come back if asked. Is it only a matter of time? Plus, how productive would that even be?
Jodie Whittaker & Jo Martin have confirmed they'd come back to lead Doctor Who
Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor is the last version of the Time Lord not to have entered the fray via some wild quirk of regeneration. When she handed the baton (back) to David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor, the show stopped being content with the traditional form of how the character is recast. That being said, Jo Martin's Fugitive Doctor debuted during Whittaker's era. Martin's presence among the cast fleshed out the Doctor's timeline in a big new way. The Fugitive Doctor is a version of the character who originates from before William Hartnell's First Doctor, and none of the show's core iterations of the character remember being her. So, Thirteen wasn't immune to regeneration drama.
Whittaker is far more prolific in Doctor Who than Martin, with the Thirteenth Doctor having 33 appearances compared with the Fugitive Doctor's 5 episodes. Regardless, with Doctor Who currently lacking a star, both have confirmed they would fill the void if called upon. While speaking with Digital Spy about her undying love for the show, Whittaker recently said she "would always say yes" to reprising her role. A little less recently, just before the BBC announced the news about Doctor Who being put on hold, Martin offered a very similar sentiment when asked by Radio Times: "If they need me, I'm there!"
I love that both Whittaker and Martin still have a fondness for playing their respective versions of the Doctor. However, if recent Doctor Who history has taught us anything, it's that going backward is not the solution. Tennant's return to celebrate the 60th anniversary in 2023 worked well, but also bringing back RTD resulted in too many villains being recycled in Ncuti Gatwa's era, rather than fresh threats starting to emerge. Bringing back a franchise legend like Billie Piper was also met with near-universal criticism. I'd be interested to see Thirteen and the Fugitive Doctor again at some point down the line, but not until a new age has been firmly established.
Whittaker & Martin have already been working on other Doctor Who projects
Both versions of the character made brief cameos during Ncuti Gatwa's final season as the Fifteenth Doctor. Although not officially confirmed, my theory is that these appearances were to promote the respective Doctor Who projects they've been working on lately. Whittaker has reprised the role of Thirteen for Big Finish, voicing her character in a series of new audio adventures.
The Fugitive Doctor is also set for a return in Doctor Who: Circuit Breaker, a multimedia adventure spread between various projects like audio dramas, novels, and even video games. I think both Doctors are unlikely to return in the main show any time soon, but the ongoing demand for more from Thirteen and the Fugitive Doctor gives me hope that the Doctor Who franchise's flagship project will be back sooner rather than later.
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