Work has already begun on Doctor Who season 2/16, and new set photos have now found their way online (this May's upcoming season 1/15 completed production last year). As we first reported on SFFGazette.com, these put the spotlight on Millie Gibson's Ruby Sunday and a character played by The Little Mermaid star Jonah Hauer-King.
The prevailing theory is that this character is Ruby's boyfriend, and the duo enjoying a romantic meal lends weight to those theories. However, watching on from outside is a terrifying alien creature; it doesn't appear to be a villain from the Whoniverse's past and there may be an unexpected twist on the way.
Fans on social media have done some digging and concluded that actor Blake Patrick Anderson is the one in costume as this alien. We're not sure exactly why, but his character appears to have suited up as a means of luring U.N.I.T. to Ruby's location. He's detained and this would mean he's not a real monster and is, instead, just wearing a very convincing costume.
Either way, with this episode unlikely to air until 2025, it's going to be a while before we find out the full story!
Gibson recently spoke with Fabric Magazine and was asked what about playing the Doctor's new companion most appealed to her.
"In my eyes, I think it’s beautiful to see how each companion humanises the Doctor," she explains. "You’ll see how my companion, Ruby Sunday, does that to Ncuti’s Doctor. What’s also special is that the companions are the eyes into the Doctor’s world. And I think many of the Whovian fans really do want to be in the Doctor’s world – the idea of travelling in the TARDIS is just so exciting. So, to take on that role, it’s amazing."
At 19, Gibson was born just one year before Doctor Who was revived by the BBC and Russell T Davies in 2005. This also makes her the Doctor's youngest ever permanent companion, an honour which isn't lost on the British actress.
"It’s just crazy - an utter privilege," Gibson exclaims. "Sometimes it’s a case of older actors playing younger characters, so I think it’s really special that Ruby is my age. And you really see that on the screen, there’s this certain lovable, childlike energy about her, she’s just really fresh to the world; I’m really fond of her."
"And I think the Doctor and Ruby’s relationship is very different to what viewers will have seen before, in the sense that they’re kind of like two schoolgirls giggling and chatting and plotting, and yeah, they’re just the bestest of friends, and I think that’s such a beautiful thing to see on screen," she adds. "Ruby is just so ready to enter the world, and I think it’s going be really exciting to see the journey she goes on with the Doctor."
You can look through the full gallery of Doctor Who set photos by heading over to Mail Online.