Doctor Who Teaser Reveals The Next Doctor After A Regeneration Gone Wrong
Warning: spoilers ahead for the "Doctor Who" special "The Power of the Doctor."
After a dozen or so regenerations, "Doctor Who" fans pretty much know what to expect when one of the Doctors reaches the end of their era. There's some kind of fatal injury, some glowy effects, and then the show's former lead disappears, leaving a new Doctor in their place. The new Doctor gets a short scene to give fans a taste of their personality and the actor's unique take on the role, and then it's time to wait for the show's return and the next Doctor's first big adventure.
In "The Power of the Doctor," however, things didn't go quite according to plan. Instead of regenerating into the Fourteenth Doctor everyone was expecting — played by "Sex Education" alum Ncuti Gatwa — Jodie Whittaker's Doctor instead regenerated into ... the Tenth Doctor, David Tennant. What?!
SPOILERS 🚨 Watch the regeneration of the Thirteenth Doctor... 🔥 #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/7m4WzWow0q
— Doctor Who: The Power of the Doctor 🔥 (@bbcdoctorwho) October 23, 2022
We knew that Tennant would be returning, along with his former companion Donna Noble (Catherine Tate), but usually when past Doctors return it's because of some wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey stuff. We were not prepared for this level of tomfoolery.
Fortunately you don't have to wait until 2023 to see Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor, because the BBC also released a short teaser for the upcoming season. Check it out below!
Watch the teaser for Doctor Who season 14
This is, as Eric Effiong would say, "Non-SENSE!" But such is the life of a Time Lord. The teaser sees Tennant grappling with identity issues, offers a glimpse of Donna's return and Neil Patrick Harris' villain, and ends with Gatwa's Doctor demanding, "Someone tell me what the hell is going on here!"
The "someone" to explain all of this will be none other than Russell T. Davies, the showrunner who created the modern series of "Doctor Who" and is now returning to lead it once again, as current showrunner Chris Chibnall bows out. Davies oversaw the Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant eras of the show, with Steven Moffat taking over at the start of the Eleventh Doctor's (Matt Smith) tenure. In a BBC article about the surprise regeneration, Davies revealed that Gatwa won't be the Fourteenth Doctor, as expected, but the Fifteenth.
"The path to Ncuti's 15th Doctor is laden with mystery, horror, robots, puppets, danger and fun! And how is it connected to the return of the wonderful Donna Noble? How, what, why? We're giving you a year to speculate, and then all hell lets loose!"
Many fans are eagerly anticipating Davies' return, and Tennant being there to welcome him back will only make it all the sweeter. Meanwhile, Gatwa has proven he has the charisma to handle the role of the Doctor, and it will be interesting to see how the passing of the torch happens this time around.
"Doctor Who" will return to sort this whole mess out in the 60th anniversary special, airing in 2023.