The BBC plans to go all out with next year's 60th anniversary celebrations for Doctor Who, including casting The Matrix Resurrections star Neil Patrick Harris in a villainous role.
Based on what we've seen in set photos, it's thought that he's playing the evil Toymaster, with his machinations somehow involving David Tennant's Tenth Doctor. Of course, Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa is set to star as the latest incarnation of the iconic time-traveller, and there's a lot of excitement surrounding what he could bring to the table.
Fans are also hyped that his tenure will be under the watchful eye of Russell T Davis, the writer responsible for bringing Doctor Who back in 2005. His return to the franchise has been celebrated, and as he's hot off the success of It's a Sin, the hope is Russell will bring a greater level of diversity to Doctor Who.
Will that include the first openly gay Doctor?
Talking about his role in the show with Variety (via SFFGazette.com), Harris shared high praise for Gatwa and seemingly confirmed that will be the case. "I got to meet and interact with him a bit and he’s glorious," the actor said. "He’ll be the first gay Doctor, which is going to be super cool, a sexier Doctor."
While Gatwa played a gay character in Sex Education, he's never talked openly about his own sexuality. We can't imagine Harris, who is also gay, has outed his Doctor Who co-star here, so common sense says he's referring to the character. That's a big move on Davis' part, and one that suggest the Doctor will find romance with a male companion in this next series.
Regardless, we can't wait to see this new era of Doctor Who storytelling take shape, and it seems fair to say that Gatwa will put a fresh spin on the Time Lord. He's the first Black actor to play the character, and it sounds like this next iteration is also going to explore his sexuality in a way we haven't seen before.
There's always a chance Harris' comments have been misinterpreted, but it sounds like this franchise is about to take a bold step forward. Stay tuned to SFFGazette.com for the latest Doctor Who updates!