Is Ncuti Gatwa the 15th Doctor? Jodie Whittaker’s tenure as the Doctor is done. The Power of the Doctor was a messy, but fun end to her time as the sci-fi series‘ lead, but more importantly, it ushered in the next era of Doctor Who.
The episode ended with the reveal that the 13th Doctor had regenerated into Tennant’s 10th Doctor. It was a cliff-hanger of the best kind, and a deliciously classic Doctor Who mystery which acts as the perfect set up for the upcoming Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials.
However, the reveal has also led to a degree of confusion. If Whittaker is the 13th Doctor, and she regenerated into Tennant, then what will that make Ncuti Gatwa, who is confirmed to be The Doctor from Doctor Who series 14 onwards. Is Ncuti Gatwa the 15th Doctor?
Is Ncuti Gatwa the 15th Doctor?
Yes, Ncuti Gatwa is officially the 15th Doctor, and David Tennant is the 14th Doctor. This is because the 13th regenerated into Tennant again, for reasons unbeknownst to us, making him the 10th Doctor and the 14th Doctor. So, when Gatwa takes over from Tennant he will be the 15th Doctor. That’s a lot of Doctors! And we wouldn’t have it any other way.
This was confirmed by returning showrunner Russell T Davies, who shared comments about the situation following The Power of the Doctor. Speaking to the BBC, Davies said “If you thought the appearance of David Tennant was a shock, we’ve got plenty more surprises on the way! The path to Ncuti’s Fifteenth 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?”
More than that, we’ve actually got our very first look at Gatwa in the role, thanks to a short teaser trailer that aired after Whittaker’s finale, which you can get out above. It’s a hair-raising teaser, with great visuals, and a fantastic sense of action, and it hints at all the mystery that’s still to come.
For more time-travel related fun, check out our guide to the scariest Doctor Who episodes