Doctor Who’s OG Director Hopes Season 15 Explores Fifteenth Doctor’s Sexuality As Long As One Element Is Kept Intact

Doctor Who‘s first-ever director, Waris Hussein, weighs in on the Fifteenth Doctor’s sexuality in season 14 and how he hopes future episodes will tackle the subject. The director helmed both the unsuccessful pilot and “An Unearthly Child,” alongside the serial “Marco Polo” in 1963 and 1964. While the Doctor has spoken about the Time Lord’s flexibility of gender and sexuality and hinted at attraction to people of their gender of the time, Doctor Who season 14’s “Rogue” saw sparks fly between Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor and the titular bounty hunter (Jonathan Groff).

Recently, Hussein sat down with Doctor Who Magazine and shared his reactions to season 14’s milestone romance. This left him wondering how showrunner Russell T Davies would handle the Doctor’s sexuality going forward. While he enjoyed the Time Lord’s more mysterious aloofness, he also stated that it was vital that stories don’t shy away from exploring the Doctor’s queerness on-screen, citing his own experience as a gay man. Check out Hussein’s explanation below:

“I’m curious about Russell T [Davies] thinking. Where’s he taking the character? What’s the mystery? If Russell T has made the Doctor queer, is there reference to it? There should be a curiosity among the people the Doctor meets. There’s no point in saying, ‘Well, it doesn’t matter.’ It does. Queerness matters. Queerness shapes you. I’ve grown up with that mentality. I can’t get rid of it. So it must shape the Doctor. If he’s gay, let’s see it. But don’t lose the mystery.”

What Hussein’s Response Means For Doctor Who’s Future

“Rogue” Only Scratched The Surface For Queer Storytelling

“Rogue” is far from the first time Doctor Who has suggested the Time Lord’s sexuality. Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor had made various hints towards being bisexual, Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor has been interpreted as being on the Asexuality Spectrum, and Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor developed feelings for companion Yaz (Mandip Gill). However, the brief romance between the Time Lord and Rogue in season 14 resulted in the first romantic same-sex kiss for the character and left things open for future exploration. As such, the episode has emerged as a highlight of the era.

Nevertheless, Hussein’s desire for future on-screen queerness by the Doctor is understandable. While the Fifteenth Doctor has enjoyed the romance and mentioned being attracted to men, the Doctor’s identity and relationship with his sexuality has only scratched the surface, especially in comparison to how prior incarnations were approached. However, this can easily be amended over time by offering the Doctor more opportunities to grow close to people, or perhaps dedicating a historical adventure to a moment in queer history or a queer icon to directly handle the discussion.

Our Thoughts On Hussein’s Reaction To Doctor Who Season 14’s Romantic Developments

The Franchise Has Often Offered Fans An Open And Accepting Universe

Queer representation is a matter that Doctor Who has tended to handle well, especially following the revival under Davies, who himself used his experiences as a gay man throughout his career. While there have been occasions where harmful tropes have perhaps unintentionally been invoked, the character’s flexibility of gender and depictions of minor and major queer characters have allowed viewers to feel seen. In some ways, even the Doctor’s nature as a general outsider to other characters’ way of life can also allow queer fans to interpret them in many unique ways.

However, Hussein’s response is understandable since the director is hoping that any depiction of the Time Lord’s sexuality feels genuine and relatable to real life. Davies’ past works in Queer as Folk, Cucumber, and It’s a Sin have each earned acclaim for telling enlightening queer stories. As such, with Doctor Who‘s time-traveling premise exploring fantastical realms that have paralleled our own struggles and echoed humanity’s history, a serious exploration of queer identity, icons, and history could further educate many and help them discover new things about themselves.