Doctor Who alum Paul McGann just revealed whether he’s returning to the franchise in 2026 amid recent speculation. The actor played the Eighth Doctor in the long-running time travel sci-fi franchise, first in the 1996 film.
Speculation has been running rampant over the future of Doctor Who, especially now that Disney will no longer be a partner with the BBC on the franchise after the spinoff, The War Between the Land and the Sea.
McGann has been included in that speculation after alleged set photos of him with Billie Piper spread online. However, the actor is not returning to Doctor Who for the Christmas special, which will air in 2026. He told The Gerry Anderson Podcast that the set photos were created by AI and don’t exist in reality. “If only,” McGann remarked.
After fans saw the photos of McGann and Piper together, many commented that “it has to be true,” which led to the “rumor mill kick[ing] in.”
When podcast host Richard James speculated that the rumors could end up being true, and McGann might have signed an NDA preventing him from revealing any information, the actor lightheartedly shot back, “You’re making this thing worse. You’re part of the problem.”
Paul McGann: “Just recently, I mean in the last week or so, there’s me and Billie Piper working together. If only. And so people are like, ‘Oh, come on, it has to be true,’ and the rumor mill kicks in.”
Richard James: “It could be true. Have you signed an NDA? You just can’t tell us, and maybe it is true.”
McGann: “You’re making this thing worse. You’re part of the problem.”
Even if McGann hadn’t confirmed that the photo was AI-generated, it would’ve been impossible to conclude that McGann and Piper were filming the Doctor Who special together, considering showrunner Russell T. Davies hasn’t even written the script yet, which he admitted in November.
McGann debuted as the Doctor at a time of uncertainty for the franchise, similar to now. Doctor Who had gone off the air in 1986, with Sylvester McCoy playing what was then considered the final Doctor.
The 1996 Doctor Who film, which aired on TV, was an attempt at reviving the franchise and aired on Fox in the United States, with American-based Universal Studios as a co-producer.
Due to the low ratings for the movie in the U.S., Doctor Who stayed dormant until 2005, with Christopher Eccleston starring in the official revival.
All these years later, Doctor Who is in a similar situation, in which the American company Disney came in as a producing partner to very mixed results. After Doctor Who‘s Disney deal fell apart, the series is heading into uncertain territory once again.
Ncuti Gatwa played the Fifteenth Doctor in the two most recent seasons, but he has since exited the series.
It’s unclear why the regeneration unfolded in this way, but obviously, the Christmas special in 2026 will explain everything. While Piper will be involved in some way, McGann will not be back on Doctor Who, no matter what the rumors say.
