Doctor Who‘s 60th-anniversary specials have made it clear that David Tennant’s new Fourteenth Doctor will lead the adventure alongside Catherine Tate’s Donna Noble, and we’ve learned other veteran stars will return as well. We’ve also learned that incoming Doctor Ncuti Gatwa will have a part to play in the fun, though its been stressed his proper debut as the Fifteenth Doctor won’t occur until the holiday special at the end of the year. While that still could be the case, a recent interview with a star of the anniversary special hinted that Gatwa’s role might be more complicated than I expected.
Yasmin Finney, who will make her debut as Donna Noble’s daughter Rose in Doctor Who‘s upcoming episodes, recently gave an interview about all that’s to come in the specials those in the United States will stream with their Disney+ subscription. The Evening Standard stated that Finney would star alongside David Tennant and Ncuti Gatwa during the special, which felt like it could be an honest mistake made by a writer until Finney talked about the significance of appearing on screen with Gatwa:
Two black, queer actors on screen together? It was bound to happen, the universe was bound to connect the lines. We’re intertwined, and I think we complement each other so well. We see how privileged we are.
Ncuti Gatwa hasn’t been heavily promoted to appear in Doctor Who‘s 60th-anniversary specials, but we did get a brief appearance by the actor in a trailer for the special. Gatwa was working on the set of Barbie during filming, so it seemed likely he wouldn’t pop up for much more than the regeneration scene in which Tennant’s Doctor transformed into his.
I think this new information from Yasmin Finney suggests there could be more happening with Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor in the specials than just a regeneration scene at the end. Did Finney unintentionally reveal that she shares a scene with Gatwa’s Doctor, and if so, for how long? Perhaps the intention was to say they were just both featured in the special, and I’m letting my imagination run wild.
With that said, David Tennant has hinted that there are more surprises that fans are not aware of when it comes to the specials. I could see a reality where the uniqueness of the Fourteenth Doctor’s regeneration could cause some issues and moments where the Fifteenth Doctor will attempt to break through or communicate with Tennant’s Doctor. After all, he’s already had a turn as Doctor, so I would feel a bit impatient if I was Fifteen. Gatwa’s Doctor is clearly flustered and upset about something in the brief scene we see of him in the trailer:
Assuming there is a scene in which Yasmin Finney’s Rose meets Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor, one has to wonder how it will happen. The footage we’ve seen so far has shown Rose is involved in The Fourteenth Doctors adventures, but could she also be working with the Fifteenth Doctor as well? It wouldn’t be the first time two Doctors collaborated in an adventure, though it would be weird to deliberately deceive Doctor Who fans about how much Gatwa was involved.
Fans will likely be left in the dark as they continue to wait for the premiere of Doctor Who‘s 60th-anniversary specials, which begin in November of 2023. There will be three specials, and so far, we know they’ll involve the return of UNIT, a villain played by Neil Patrick Harris, and a weird furry alien from the comics. It all sounds very exciting regardless of Ncuti Gatwa’s involvement in the special, though learning he has a bigger role than I might’ve assumed would certainly be a delight.
Make sure that Disney+ account is up to date for the return of Doctor Who in November because Season 14 is on the way as well. As a fan, I’m so eager to see how this series changes under the partnership with Disney+, and hoping we’ll see a lot of new fans join in on this exciting era of Who.