By now, we all know that Ncuti Gatwa will be the 15th Doctor and will take over as the lead Timelord from Doctor Who season 14 onwards. He will lead the sci-fi series after the 2023 Doctor Who 60th anniversary specials which will see David Tennant back in the role as the 14th Doctor.
Gatwa’s casting triggered an enormous amount of excitement thanks to his excellent performance as Eric in the hit Netflix series Sex Education. Alongside him for the new era will be the 15th Doctor’s companion, as well as returning former showrunner Russell T Davies behind the scenes. The new era also has a distribution deal with Disney Plus, meaning that the streaming service will be where audiences outside the UK can catch the show.
Now, amid all the excitement, Gatwa has spoken about how he’s prepared for the role ahead of the series, and also revealed which of The Doctor’s incarnations he used for inspiration. Speaking to The List, Gatwa said “Prepping for the role of the Doctor and watching all the episodes again and watching Russel T. Davies and David [Tennant]’s work. I was overcome with the need to get the job! I was like “I want to work with Russel.” His writing is so clever. I just feel very honoured that he saw something in me that he likes. He’s going to take me to the universe, around all the stars and galaxies.”
Gatwa’s genuine excitement for the series, and for having landed the role, is palpable and mirrors the excitement of Doctor Who fans who are looking forward to an entirely new era. His words also show that he re-watched David Tennant’s seasons as The Doctor specifically as a touchstone for preparation and inspiration.
That isn’t completely surprising, given that Gatwa will be coming after Tennant and following in his footsteps directly. However, the fact that Gatwa chose to watch Tennant specifically might hint at the fact that his time as The Doctor will be most similar to that era of the show rather than anyother.
Unfortunately, audiences still have a while to wait until they find out even though filming for Doctor Who season 14 has – in fact – begun. In the meantime, check out our guide to the scariest Doctor Who episodes.