‘Doctor Who’: Eleven actors who could be the next Doctor
As Peter Capaldi prepares to hand back the keys to the Tardis, we run through the potential replacements being lined up to star in ‘Doctor Who’
It’s all change for ‘Doctor Who’ this year. Pearl Mackie is set to take her first steps into the Tardis this spring as Bill Potts, the new companion, while Christmas will see the departure of Peter Capaldi as well as showrunner Steven Moffat. We know that both Capaldi and Moffat are set to go out with a bang, but what we don’t know is who will be in charge of saving the human race from interplanetary peril afterwards. There are plenty of contenders, from former ‘Death in Paradise’ actor Kris Marshall to arthouse heavyweight Tilda Swinton. But who is most likely to play the Thirteenth Doctor?
Who could play the next Doctor?
1. Kris Marshall
Why he could do it
The former ‘Death in Paradise’ star has recently hung up his flip-flops for good and headed back to the UK to be closer to his family. So he’s available and presumably looking for work. Plus, we know he can play kooky and do silly. We can totally imagine him running out of the Tardis with his floppy hair.
2. Olivia Colman
Why she could do it
Colman is a woman of many talents. She can transform herself into countless guises and could easily helm that little blue spaceship. She’s also been working with new ‘Doctor Who’ showrunner Chris Chibnall on ‘Broadchurch’ – in which she co-stars with former ‘Doctor Who’ actor David. The perfect preparation for a stint as the Doctor?
3. Idris Elba
Why he could do it
He’s rumoured to have been in the running in the past and the fandom was on board. There’s no doubt he’d be brilliantly moody and spiky as the Time Lord. But we don’t quite see it. Bond? Sure. But is ‘Doctor Who’ really cool enough for the ‘Luther’ star?
4. Rupert Grint
Why he could do it
Snagging Harry Potter’s Ron Weasley as the Doctor would be an incredible move by the BBC. He is no stranger to filming fantasy or running away from monsters. Plus, he’s filmed TV roles for ‘Snatch’, ‘Sick Note’ and ‘Urban Myths’. Casting a former Hogwarts wizard would boost ‘Doctor Who’ ratings to magical levels.
5. Ben Whishaw
Why he could do it
Ben Whishaw is well-liked by grown-ups as tech genius Q in the Bond films and loved by kids as the voice of Paddington – making him an early favourite for the role. He’d certainly add a level of prestige to ‘Doctor Who’ and bring in some new viewers. But Whishaw is famously publicity-shy, and might not be too keen on all the attention that comes from fronting one of the nation’s favourite telly shows.
Doctor Who likeliness rating 4 out of 5
6. Tilda Swinton
Why she could do it
Think about it. She's perfect. Not only does Swinton look the part – her unearthly, ethereal appearance is ideal for playing an extraterrestrial – she’s eccentric enough that you can imagine her saying ‘yes’ to starring on TV as Doctor Who. But the fact she doesn’t own a TV (and her pay cheque would absolutely be out of BBC1’s budget ballpark) will almost definitely count against her.
7. Tom Hiddleston
Why he could do it
Hiddles would add some A-list sparkle to ‘Doctor Who’. He’s quirky, British and a bit of a geek. He’s already a BBC star, thanks to his turn in ‘The Night Manager’. But is he too big a deal to star in a show like ‘Doctor Who’? You never know.
8. Danny Dyer
Why he could do it
If Danny Dyer’s stint on ‘EastEnders’ has shown us anything it’s that he can do pretty much whatever he puts his mind to. The man is related to royalty for Christ’s sake. Plus he’s enthusiastic. ‘I could see myself in the scarf and all that. I think I could do it easy,’ he’s said adding: ‘I’d keep my accent too.’
9. Alexander Vlahos
Why he could do it
The ‘Versailles’ and ‘Merlin’ actor is a self-professed ‘Doctor Who’ nut. The 28-year-old has said before that wants the job, he has a solid online fan base, and he even hails from Llantrisant in Wales, which is close to the set of the sci-fi show in Cardiff. Handy, right?
10. Richard Ayoade
Why he could do it
The ‘IT Crowd’ star ticks all the eccentric boxes, and, if the bookies are to be believed, he’s a fairly likely candidate. He does, however, already have a best job on TV. He’s the new host of ‘The Crystal Maze’, and we’re not sure he’d have time to do that and fight Daleks.
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