Doctor Who Season 14’s Cameo From Deceased Doctor Actor Teased By Ncuti Gatwa
Doctor Who's Ncuti Gatwa reveals he will share the screen with the long-deceased First Doctor actor through VFX in the show's upcoming adventures.
Actor Ncuti Gatwa reveals his Fifteenth Doctor will appear alongside a long-deceased actor who portrayed an earlier incarnation of the Time Lord in upcoming Doctor Who adventures. The Sex Education star will lead the series and take control of the TARDIS following David Tennant’s brief return to the role for the show’s 60th-anniversary celebrations. Gatwa’s first adventure will be 2023’s seasonal special, and the actor is already confirmed to appear in newly renumbered seasons 1 and 2, as well as a 2024 seasonal special.
While Gatwa’s Doctor Who debut marks the start of a new era for the show, the actor has revealed his Fifteenth Doctor is already set to be joined on-screen by another classic Doctor. As reported by The Mirror, Gatwa stated during the GQ Man of the Year award ceremony that his incarnation would be joined on screen by William Hartnell’s First Doctor in an upcoming episode for a brief scene, though the actor avoided revealing any details about how the moment was made. Check out Gatwa’s full response below:
It has been a crazy year. I shouldn’t say this but I shot a scene, somehow, with the first-ever Doctor, William Hartnell. We end up in the same scene together at some point.
How Has William Hartnell Appeared In Modern-Day Doctor Who Episodes?
Gatwa’s reveal does align with certain quotes by Russell T Davies surrounding how classic actors could appear in Doctor Who‘s upcoming stories. In a recent interview to discuss the upcoming 60th-anniversary, the showrunner revealed that the past of Neil Patrick Harris’ villain The Toymaker would be explored in a flashback to the character’s previous incarnation played by Michael Gough in 1966’s “The Celestial Toymaker.” While recent technological advancements have allowed Hollywood productions to feature both deceased actors and younger versions of living actors to much scrutiny, it isn’t the first time careful editing has allowed classic characters including Hartnell’s Doctor to appear on-screen without recasting the role.
In 2013, Hartnell returned to screens through careful editing across two Doctor Who episodes, “The Name of the Doctor” and “The Day of the Doctor.” In “The Name of the Doctor,” Jenna Coleman’s companion Clara stepped into and was split into duplicates across the Doctor’s personal timeline to assist past incarnations. Coleman was superimposed alongside the classic actors in new sequences created through carefully edited classic era footage, including a Clara duplicate helping Hartnell’s Doctor choose his TARDIS when he leaves Gallifrey. The following special, “The Day of the Doctor,” would see archive footage of Hartnell and other past Doctors save Gallifrey from destruction, with John Guilor impersonating the First Doctor to develop new lines.
Though Hartnell has already returned through careful editing in past Doctor Who adventures, Gatwa’s comments suggest that the actor’s upcoming posthumous appearance is a step above what has come before. While it is likely that careful editing and upscale footage will be how Gatwa shares the screen with the original First Doctor, it can’t be denied that the prospect of allowing deceased actors brings to mind controversial movie industry decisions of recent years. Regardless of how it is created, Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor joining Hartnell’s First Doctor on screen could be a fitting 60th-anniversary celebration that will leave audiences talking.
William Hartnell’s Doctor Who tenure can be viewed alongside classic adventures on BritBox. Ncuti Gatwa’s upcoming adventures will be available on Disney+ for international audiences. Both eras of the show are available on BBC iPlayer for UK viewers.
