Gatwa is currently in production for Doctor Who with his companion Millie Gibson, and we just got some new photos of them both wearing 70s period garb. Check these out:

First look at Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson as The Doctor and Ruby in the ‘60s from the new ‘DOCTOR WHO’ series. pic.twitter.com/fEAs4kSDfm

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) April 20, 2023

When Gatwa’s Doctor costume was first revealed, I admittedly thought that the outfit was pretty bland, but seeing him in costume here, I have a feeling that his Doctor is going to be wearing a bunch of different outfits and disguises throughout his run.

I guess previous incarnations of the Doctor didn’t really need to be wearing outfits, because they just make use of the psychic paper card which immediately grants them authority to whoever they’re speaking to. Though the card is a pretty neat trick to get a common problem out of the way, it is known to backfire on some people, so maybe that’s the reason we see the Doctor in disguise.

Personally, I think it’s a bummer that we won’t get to see the passing of the Doctor Who torch between Gatwa and Jodie Whittaker, but I guess bringing back one of the most popular Doctors is guaranteed to have everyone check out the Anniversary special. Hopefully Whittaker has one short scene in the upcoming episode, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

Gatwa is said to have his debut as the new Doctor in the Doctor Who 60^th Anniversary Special which comes out later this November.

Check this out:

We don’t have a breakdown of the plot yet, but it does have something to do with Donna being able to remember the Doctor—which absolutely cannot happen. Seeing that Donna forgetting the Doctor is kind of a tragic arc, maybe they plan on restoring her memories without it having to be some kind of world-ending scenario.

Though the series mostly brings in other British actors to play against the Doctor, this time around they’ve brought in Neil Patrick Harris to be some kind of cosmic magician that could be kidnapping aliens from all around the galaxy to add to his show.

I’ll admit, it’s a nice surprise to see Tennant back, but I was kind of hoping for a ‘passing of the torch’ moment from Jodie Whittaker to Gatwa. Maybe the series will give us that, but if they manage to write a short, meaningful appearance from Tennant, then I’m all in.

I just hope they don’t lean in too much to the nostalgia of Tennant being a fan-favorite by a lot of old fans.

Doctor Who returns to the BBC in 2023.

We don’t know why the Doctor is suddenly back in his tenth form, but even though it feels like we got cheated out of Gatwa’s Doctor reveal, the BBC has released a teaser for his appearance in the next episode of Who. Watch this:

I have to admit, they did catch Whovians by surprise when the regeneration went backwards. When it comes to previous regenerations, fans are usually ready for the next Doctor to arrive, and the casting gets announced even before the regeneration episode ends. Tennant suddenly appearing was certainly a nice surprise.

Though I’m sure there are kids today who love the newer iterations of the Doctor with Peter Capaldi and Whittaker, I think this move to bring Tennant back is one to lure in classic Who fans and see what they’re favorite version of the Doctor could be doing back. While I’m happy to see a familiar face, I hope that they don’t lean in too much on nostalgia for his return. I mean, that’s kind of the trap that Star Wars fell into with The Book of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Hopefully we get a full trailer for the next episode around Christmas time. Doctor Who returns to the BBC in 2023.

As announced by the BBC, the next incarnation of the Doctor will be played by Ncuti Gatwa, who audiences know best as Eric in Netflix’s hit show Sex Education.

“There aren’t quite the words to describe how I’m feeling. A mix of deeply honoured, beyond excited and of course a little bit scared. This role and show means so much to so many around the world, including myself, and each one of my incredibly talented predecessors has handled that unique responsibility and privilege with the utmost care. I will endeavour my upmost to do the same,” said Gatwa, “ Russell T Davies is almost as iconic as the Doctor himself and being able to work with him is a dream come true. His writing is dynamic, exciting, incredibly intelligent and fizzing with danger. An actor’s metaphorical playground. The entire team have been so welcoming and truly give their hearts to the show. And so as much as it’s daunting, I’m aware I’m joining a really supportive family. Unlike the Doctor, I may only have one heart but I am giving it all to this show.”

At 29-years-old, Gatwa is the second youngest actor to be cast as a modern incarnation of the Doctor. The youngest actor to be cast as the Doctor is still Matt Smith, Doctor Eleven, who was cast in the role at 26-years-old.

We don’t know exactly when Gatwa will take over the role, but we know that we’ll be seeing him in the TARDIS sometime in 2023. While the character has remained the same one canonically throughout the years, each incarnation always comes with their own kind of wacky personality. Just based on how colourful Eric is in Sex Education, I’m really excited to see what kind of energy Gatwa will bring to the role.

Gatwa’s first Who episode is expected to air sometime in 2023.

As per Variety, Whittaker, along with showrunner Chris Chibnall, will be leaving Doctor Who after three years of work on the series. Whittaker says about her exit:

“In 2017 I opened my glorious gift box of size 13 shoes. I could not have guessed the brilliant adventures, worlds and wonders I was to see in them… My heart is so full of love for this show, for the team who make it, for the fans who watch it and for what it has brought to my life. And I cannot thank Chris enough for entrusting me with his incredible stories.”

As per Chibnal, he and Whittaker had made a ‘three series and out’ pact when they signed on for the show, and now that their time is up, they’re ‘handing back the TARDIS keys.’ If anything, Whittaker’s run lasted as long as the previous two Doctors, Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi.

The rest of Whittaker’s Doctor Who run is expected to last toward the end of 2021 with three specials to follow in 2022—one to release in the New Year, spring, and then fall.

BBC has yet to pick a new Doctor or showrunner for the series, but after Whittaker, it’s going to be interesting to see where they take the character. Will they continue the route of having a female Doctor, or will they go back to tradition and have a young man take on the role?

Catch Doctor Who on the BBC.