Doctor Who‘s 50th-anniversary special, “The Day of the Doctor,” is one of my favorite episodes of the show, and although John Hurt’s War Doctor was a surprisingly good addition to the franchise, I’m still certain a new iteration of the Doctor was unnecessary. Of every actor to play the Doctor, Hurt is at the lower end of the list regarding how many times he stepped into the role. Thankfully, he didn’t need long to portray a solid and believable version of the famous Time Lord, but I still wanted someone else to play his part.
Even objectively speaking, I think it’s hard to argue that “The Day of the Doctor” isn’t one of the greatest Doctor Who stories ever. The episode didn’t invent the concept of a multi-Doctor story, but it did add something fresh and exciting to the formula by unveiling a previously-unseen regeneration between Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor and Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth. Although the War Doctor’s name has become a little meaningless now, the character remains one of former showrunner Steven Moffat’s biggest contributions to Doctor Who canon. However, Hurt’s casting shouldn’t have been necessary.
I’m Still Not Over Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor Not Returning For Doctor Who’s 50th Anniversary
The War Doctor was created after Eccleston declined the offer to return as Nine
It’s widely known among the Doctor Who fan base that John Hurt was a replacement for the original actor intended to appear in his place. Moffat’s plan was to unite Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor with David Tennant’s Tenth and Matt Smith’s Eleventh. Devastatingly, but also somewhat predictably, Eccleston declined the opportunity to play the part again, which threw a spanner in the works when it came to Moffat’s almost-complete script. The writer has spoken with Digital Spy about Eccleston’s response to the offer, saying he was “so depressed” because he had “written most of the script and [Eccleston] was in it.”
Eccleston’s presence would have been the only time all the revival-era Doctors to that point had appeared onscreen together.
I loved Eccleston as the Doctor, and would have adored seeing him play the part again alongside two of the best to ever do it. His time as Nine was far too short for my taste, and although Eccleston has reprised the role in audio adventures, I’m pretty sure the time has passed for him to make another onscreen appearance in Doctor Who. Eccleston’s version of the Time Lord carried a secret sadness beneath a theatrically smiley demeanor, and finding out it was Nine who actually fought in the Time War would have made an excellent addition to his backstory.
Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor Should Have Been The Next Option After Eccleston’s Refusal To Return
McGann’s Doctor Who comeback in “The Day of the Doctor” would have been brilliant
Steven Moffat’s failure to recruit Eccleston for “The Day of the Doctor” was a huge blow, but he didn’t give up on making his script work. The writer has admitted he considered using an alternate Doctor from the show’s rich history to replace Eccleston, but he ultimately decided to create the War Doctor instead. In my opinion, Moffat abandoned his alternative much too soon. If Nine wasn’t going to be a major play in Doctor Who‘s 50th anniversary, the next-best option would surely have been to head back just one more Doctor and bring back Paul McGann.
If Eight knew what had to be done, I don’t see why he couldn’t simply have been the Doctor to fight in the Time War.
McGann did feature as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations, as he played the Eighth Doctor in live-action for the first time since his failed 1996 movie, bringing an older version of the character back in the 2013 short, “The Night of the Doctor.” The plot shows Eight’s controlled regeneration into the War Doctor, revealing a willingness to take up arms. If Eight knew what had to be done, I don’t see why he couldn’t simply have been the Doctor to fight in the Time War.
Plus, Paul McGann’s Doctor has always felt quite isolated from the rest, as his movie is largely disavowed – while still remaining canon. So, letting McGann team up with Smith and Tennant in “The Day of the Doctor” would have integrated his brief era into Doctor Who‘s modern age. Thankfully, McGann did eventually get a brief return to the main Doctor Who show in 2022’s “The Power of the Doctor.”
John Hurt’s War Doctor Was Still A Great Solution To Eccleston’s Absence
I’m glad we got to see Hurt play the War Doctor
Such a massive change to the Doctor’s timeline wouldn’t have been my first choice once Eccleston turned down the chance to return, but Moffat still managed to make an undesirable scenario thoroughly entertaining. The disruption to Doctor Who‘s numbering system that was caused by Hurt’s introduction wasn’t ideal, but his presence in the Doctor’s history has strangely caused very few issues.
From a performance standpoint, John Hurt did an incredible job as the War Doctor. He somehow maintained the Doctor’s signature quirkiness while not letting his deep and brooding veneer slip. If Moffat had to create a new Doctor to replace Eccleston, I’m glad that we also got John Hurt as the actor who played him. The War Doctor’s place in Doctor Who canon may be relatively small, but the impact he left on the franchise at large is undeniable.
