As Jodie Whittaker’s reign as the Doctor comes to a close and regeneration looms, rumours are rife as to who will take over the TARDIS. And, with the 60th anniversary of the sci-fi series coming up in 2023, the BBC are planning something huge to celebrate the legacy of Doctor Who in style. But former Doctor, Christopher Eccleston, has labelled ideas for a multi-Doctor reunion a “cash in”, despite being open to a return to the role.
Christopher Eccleston first played the iconic time-traveller in 2005, wielding the sonic screwdriver as Doctor Who for just one season of the hit BBC TV series. The actor has reprised this role recently in Big Finish, with an appearance in something of a prequel series in 2021, and the star says he is open to returning again, but only if he is the sole Doctor.
In the same vein as Spider-Man: No Way Home, which saw three different Spider-Men converge in one MCU timeline, there is a growing clamour for a similar storyline in Doctor Who. Eccleston however, isn’t keen on the idea.
“I’ve never been a fan of multi-Doctor stories,” Eccleston told a panel at the Supanova Q&A over the weekend. “I always think that multi-Doctor stories are a bit of a cash-in, and a bit of exploitation,” he added.
With previous Doctors such as David Tennant, Matt Smith, and Peter Capaldi potentially being lined up for the anniversary special, it would appear that Eccleston either won’t be joining them, or he would be the only Doctor to return.
“The Ninth Doctor, in particular, is a one-man band. Definitely. So he doesn’t work with other Doctors,” Eccleston explains. “If you want me back, you’d get me on my own,” the actor concludes.
This is all a rather curious change of heart for Eccleston, who in 2020 was quoted as saying he would only return to Doctor Who “when hell freezes over.” A big stumbling block to any Eccleston appearance would largely be down to the state of his relationship with showrunner Russell T Davies, who returns to the show for the next season.