“The Doctor Falls” was not just the last episode in the tenth Doctor Who series but also the end of an era. In part, this is because the show-runner Steven Moffat is stepping down so that Chris Chipnall can step up in his place. However, it should also be noted that Peter Capaldi’s time as the Doctor is coming to a conclusion as well, as shown by the signs of imminent regeneration in the last episode. As a result, Doctor Who fans have launched into heated speculation over the person who will be playing the next Doctor.
Who Will Be Replacing Peter Capaldi?
With that said, it is interesting to note that the current speculation is not as scattershot in this case as one might expect. Instead, most of the speculation has concentrated on Phoebe Waller-Bridge, an English actress who has also been a director, a writer, and a playwright over the course of her career so far. In part, this is because of an interview on BBC Newsnight, which saw her making a awkward non-denial to a direct question about whether she had been chosen to play the Doctor or not. Furthermore, someone at BBC Newsnight chose to superimpose the regeneration effect over her face, which was interesting to say the least.
However, it should also be noted that a lot of people believe that Waller-Bridge has the right characteristics needed to play the role of the Doctor. For example, her experience on Fleabag showed that she is capable of playing a complicated character with a wide range of behaviors that run from the funny to the sad, the scared, and the incensed. All while seeming as knowing as an ancient, semi-divine figure who is unconstrained by time should be. Furthermore, a lot of her supporters state that she manages to be relatable while also possessing plenty of that famous British poshness, which is a historically successful combination that could serve to make her version of the character a success with overseas audiences.
Finally, there are a fair number of people who are interested in the idea of Waller-Bridge playing the Doctor because it would be a huge shakeup from previous casting for the same character. In a real sense, if she is indeed the person who has been chosen to play the Thirteenth Doctor, it could mean a breath of fresh air with potentially interesting consequences for the franchise as a whole.
Are There Other Candidates?
Besides Waller-Bridge, the next candidate seems to be Kris Marshall, an English actor who is best-known for his former role as DI Humphrey Goodman on Death in Paradise. Much of the speculation surrounding him seems to be focused on the fact that he left said series in February of 2017. Regardless, a choice to cast Marshall does not seem to strike most people to be as interesting as a choice to cast Waller-Bridge, meaning that until more information is known, it seems probable that most speculation will focus on her rather than him or one of the other potential candidates out there.
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