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Ncuti Gatwa made his debut as the Fifteenth Doctor in December 2023 on Christmas Day, but reports have suggested that the Scottish actor is quitting the show.
Doctor Who fans following the long-running series have been hit with rumours that Ncuti Gatwa is set to leave the show – and there are already several strong contenders to replace him.
Despite only stepping into the iconic role in December 2023, multiple reports have suggested that Ncuti will leave the show after the 15th series airs later this year.
Bookies have already anticipated who could step into his shoes, with Netflix star Josh O’Connor being a firm favourite, according to betideas.com.
The Challengers actor has recently been linked with the vacant James Bond position but leads the market here at 2/1, with Jack Lowden (4/1) and Richard Armitage (7/1) completing the top four selections.
The news comes after previous reports suggested that the BBC had plans to shelve the sci-fi series, which bosses have strongly denied.
Ncuti Gatwa stepped into the role in December 2023 (Image: BBC)
In a statement released this week, a BBC spokesperson commented: “This story is incorrect, Doctor Who has not been shelved. As we have previously stated, the decision on season 3 will be made after season 2 airs.
“The deal with Disney+ was for 26 episodes – and exactly half of those still have to transmit. And as for the rest, we never comment on the Doctor and future storylines.”
Ncuti, 32, became the first-ever Black actor to play the role. According to The Times, the Scottish star is said to have already filmed his “regeneration exit scene.”
Josh is a strong contender to replace Ncuti Gatwa is he leaves Doctor Who (Image: Getty)
The BBC and Disney agreed to a deal thought to be worth around $100 million, but no agreement has been made about a third series featuring Ncuti. This has led to speculation that the series will end or go on hiatus.
On its debut, Gatwa’s first series garnered only 2.6 million viewers on BBC1. The Sun has also reported that crew working on the latest series have been told not to expect any more work on another Doctor Who series ‘for another decade.’
An insider told the publication, “Ncuti doesn’t want to be tied to the series beyond this and plans to relocate to Los Angeles, with several Hollywood projects standing by for him.
“His team also see a lot of fan backlash from the series, and don’t want the perception of him still being The Doctor to get in the way of any future work.”
