Even with the BBC putting the series out to tender, Doctor Who's future is far from certain. The latest rumour is that David Tennant is being eyed to return as the Fourteenth Doctor, putting that big Billie Piper cliffhanger aside to focus on perhaps the most popular version of the Time Lord.
Russell T Davies inadvertently set the stage for that with a "bigeneration" that split the Doctor into Tennant's version and the new, Fifteenth Doctor played by Ncuti Gatwa (who didn't go down particularly well with most Whoniverse fans).
Tennant continues to play the Tenth Doctor in Big Finish's audio adventures, but the Fourteenth iteration may be off-limits. Could it be because he's being saved for something bigger and better down the line?
Talking in the latest Doctor Who Magazine (via SFFGazette.com), Tennant was asked about returning to Doctor Who as his second version of the Doctor. "I'm open to anything that's suggested, to be honest," he shared, adding that "it's fun to dip a toe back in these worlds."
According to the publication, when the Doctor Who 60th Anniversary episodes were released, it was decided that, outside of a comic strip and a Children in Need short, the Fourteenth Doctor would not be revisited in spin-off media.
"It's interesting, I didn't know that there was a sort of embargo on any other worlds for that particular strain of the character," Tennant admitted, before adding that "it's hard to imagine" the Fourteenth Doctor's story ending with him living a quiet life.
"And yet that does seem to be where it's ended," he added with a grin. "So, I guess he's just enjoying Bonnie Langford's tray bakes. Who wouldn't?"
It turns out that Davies had plans to bring Tennant back one way or the other for a long time. However, it was initially planned as a one-off tale apart from the main series. "That was briefly talked about," the actor said. "Then it all went really quiet, and I just thought about other things and imagined it had gone away."
"Then, six months later, Russell said, 'Okay, so I'm taking the reins of Doctor Who, and will you come back and be part of the ongoing story?'"
Only time will tell whether Doctor Who returns in the near future, but for now, the franchise is on the shelf. Tennant's second comeback would be celebrated, but the clock may be ticking on that front, especially as he's increasingly busy with other projects.
Stay tuned for updates on the future of Doctor Who as we have them.