This content has been archived. It may no longer be relevant
We all enjoy that period in Doctor Who between a Doctor announcing he’s leaving and a new actor stepping into the TARDIS. When Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi revealed that he would be leaving at the end of the year, the Internet burst into a flurry of activity. Alongside the usual round of names like Olivia Coleman and Ben Whishaw we’ve had many new names too. However, as we move closer to the big reveal, the list of names is getting smaller. The BBC are reportedly looking for a much younger-looking regeneration of the Doctor this time around, and you can certainly see it with the three names we have below.
So who is in the running to take over from Capaldi and what kind of Doctor can we expect from them?
Kris Marshall
Marshall has long been speculated to be taking over the TARDIS in 2018. With the actor ending his role in Death in Paradise earlier this year, odds on him becoming the Thirteenth Doctor have been slashed. If you’re not familiar with Marshall, his role as Humphrey Goodman in the Death in Paradise has an air of the Doctor about it. For a start, he has the range of facial expressions needed to battle Daleks. In addition to this, his performance on the detective show is full of energy and life. But most importantly, Kris Marshall has the voice for the Doctor. It can be both comedic and dangerous, with a little dash of madness. The Doctor has to be able to move from a joke with his companion to threatening an evil army of aliens flawlessly and Kris Marshall will certainly be able to pull this off.
Although Marshall has been favourite to be the next Doctor for weeks, the Radio Times have recently thrown two new names into the bag.
Sacha Dhawan
Like Marshall, Dhawan isn’t widely known. Yet, we can see why the BBC could be considering him. The actor has proven that he has what it takes to be a Timelord, appearing in a range of different roles, including a turn in Marvel’s Iron Fist as Davos. Dhawan has already had some acting experience in Doctor Who, too. The actor starred as Waris Hussein in An Adventure in Time and Space, the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary film about the origins of the show.
For those of us wanting a non-white Doctor, Dhawan would bring that breath of fresh air to the sci-fi show. Furthermore, Dhawan is from Manchester, meaning that the Thirteenth Doctor could be a northener like Christopher Eccleston. However, not only is Sacha Dhawan potentially contending with Kris Marshall, there could also be another challenger.
Luke Treadaway
After a strong performance in Sky‘s Fortitude, according to the Radio Times, the BBC are keen to hand the TARDIS keys to Treadaway. Treadaway has the David Tennant factor. He’s young, bold and can act a range of different characters. With the BBC desperate to return to a more youthful Doctor, Luke Treadaway could well be their first choice.
If Treadaway played the Doctor anything like his character in Fortitude, he’d be more like Matt Smith’s Doctor than Tennant. A bouncy youthfulness mixed with some darker elements. If Treadaway can balance these two elements of the Doctor’s character well, he would quickly become a fan favourite.
Whilst we would love to see Peter Capaldi regenerate into an ethnic/female Doctor, the BBC will probably play it safe. Luke Treadaway seems like the choice if the rumours are true. With brilliant roles in Fortitude and in A Street Cat Named Bob, Doctor Who would be in safe hands. Of course, this is all speculation. We could all be taken by surprise when the Thirteenth Doctor is finally revealed.
Images: BBC / Sony Pictures
