My only surprise is that they announced it now and not early next year. I wish they could have sorted this out a year ago and the BBC could have committed sooner, then we could have kept Ncuti Gatwa around as The Doctor.
Gatwa left at the end of his contract, forcing a rewrite and reshoot of the end of the last episode in February. He wasn’t staying around when his career was blowing up.
Sure, but in a world where Gatwa knew series 3 (or more) was renewed and he’d have a definitive job, he sticks around. He left due to the uncertainty.
Did he? I got the impression he was getting better offers post-Barbie and wanted the freedom to do them.
That’s definitely a possibility. Proving either story is going to be hard until Gatwa reveals more several years from now. Officially the role of Doctor Who is demanding and Gatwa decided it was time to move on.
Officially Gatwa made the decision well ahead of his “final” episode. But we know a different ending was shot with leaked stills from a more happy ending, an ending where he didn’t regenerate. We know the regeneration happened during reshoots, once he made the decision to leave.
As I see it, the reshoots happened in February. We, just now in October, learned of the future of Doctor Who, and that future is a special in December 2026.
When you look at the history of Doctor Who specials since 2005, when the reboot series started, we’ve pretty much got a new “holiday” special every year for the past 20 years. Not having a special in 2025 is weird.
When you look at the storyline set-up at the end of Gatwa’s era, it’s clear they planned for another season/series. When you hear Gatwa talk it’s clear he wanted another season. He had more story to tell.
So why didn’t he stay? Because the shows future has been uncertain for the past year. We, as viewers, didn’t know that was the case until the finale aired, but behind the scenes no one knew what was planned.
Now, in October, a plan has been made. It’s not the most well defined plan, and the only thing we know is December 2026. So the BBC has all of 2026 to sort it all out.
Meanwhile Gatwa is on the rise. He’s getting offers and seeing projects he wants to do pass by. He’s a young man. Doctor Who, by his own admission, was A LOT of work. But it is work. Most (modern) Doctors do three series. Russell Davies has clearly written a plan for a third series. Another quick season and regeneration, then he can move on… If we’re moving forward. But instead… what if we just chill for a year? You’re a rising actor in late 2024, are you OK with waiting until late 2025 or later, because keep in mind they can’t promise a decision until after an a spinoff show airs.
Disney doesn’t give a shit. They just popped in and hoped it would work out. Here’s a pile of money, make the ROI worth it. BBC has been on the train since 2005 (technically way before). We all know you’re going to pick up the slack if Disney doesn’t… But that’s a different fiscal year.
But Gatwa can’t wait. Leaving Doctor Who isn’t ideal. But contracts end. No one is really going to fault him. Even a BBC project would go, “Yeah, I get it.”
That’s what I think happened.
A shame since Gatwa’s doctor was one of my favorites in a while.
