DOCTOR WHO Star Hits Back At "Doctor Woke" Claims: "[It] Means Inclusive, Progressive And That You Care"

DOCTOR WHO Star Hits Back At "Doctor Woke" Claims: "[It] Means Inclusive, Progressive And That You Care"

Doctor Who season 2 will see Varada Sethu step into the TARDIS alongside Ncuti Gatwa, and in a new interview, the Andor star has responded to the fans who have dubbed the sci-fi series "Doctor Woke."

By JoshWilding - Apr 01, 2025 02:04 PM EST
Filed Under: Doctor Who
Source: Radio Times (via SFFGazette.com)

In the upcoming second season of Doctor Who, Andor star Varada Sethu returns to the series as the Doctor's new companion, Belinda Chandra. 

Sethu recently caught up with Radio Times (via SFFGazette.com) and shared her thoughts on fans saying the long-running sci-fi series has gone "woke" with its inclusive casting (which has been at the forefront since Russell T. Davies returned to the show). 

"Woke just means inclusive, progressive and that you care about people," she said. "And, as far as I know, the core of Doctor Who is kindness, love and doing the right thing."

The fact Sethu, who is British-Indian, is being paired with lead star Ncuti Gatwa means Doctor Who season 2 will be the first time two people of color have piloted the TARDIS together since the series' creation. "Ncuti was like, 'Look at us. We get to be in the Tardis. We’re going to piss off so many people,'" she recalled.

"We really are equals in the way that we interact with each other," Sethu added. "Russell [T Davies] wanted someone who can push back and not be in awe of this all-powerful being."

It's unclear what the future holds in store for Doctor Who. Davies' storylines have been very topical and, for many fans, that's been a turn-off.

While sci-fi has frequently tackled real-life events, it was perhaps a little too on the nose in season 1. Then, there are those who simply won't watch because the show has a diverse cast (a small but unfortunately vocal minority). 

Doctor Who ratings haven't been good, and Disney+ is thought to be regretting its investment in the show. If they pull out, then it will be on the BBC to fund it; that means a considerably lower budget and likely a new cast and creative team. 

Season 3 has not been greenlit, and it's thought Gatwa has shot a regeneration scene in case the plug is pulled in the weeks ahead.

In Doctor Who season 2, the Doctor meets Belinda Chandra and begins an epic quest to get her back to Earth. But a mysterious force is stopping their return and the time-traveling TARDIS team must face great dangers, bigger enemies and wilder terrors than ever before.

The series stars Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor, Varada Sethu as Belinda Chandra, and Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday. Previously announced guest cast includes Rose Ayling-Ellis, Christopher Chung, Rylan Clark, Alan Cumming, Anita Dobson, Freddie Fox, Michelle Greenidge, Jonah Hauer-King, Ruth Madeley, Jemma Redgrave, and Susan Twist.

Russell T Davies serves as Doctor Who's showrunner, executive producer and writer. Additional executive producers are Joel Collins, Phil Collinson, Julie Gardner, and Jane Tranter. Doctor Who is produced by Bad Wolf, with BBC Studios for Disney Branded Television and BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Doctor Who season 2 premieres on Saturday, April 12 (12am PT/3am ET) on Disney+, where available, and exclusively on the BBC and BBC iPlayer in the UK. New episodes from the eight-part season will premiere weekly.

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bobevanz
bobevanz - 4/1/2025, 2:21 PM
How long before you know who leaves a comment lol
Kadara
Kadara - 4/1/2025, 2:46 PM
@bobevanz - Like moth to a flame 😂
ToldYaSo
ToldYaSo - 4/1/2025, 3:09 PM
@bobevanz - Right? Wilding goes fly fishing, chapter 23.
Vigor
Vigor - 4/1/2025, 2:26 PM
They keep trying to meet dissenters in the middle. But those folks against diversity don't need to be educated. They're firm in their stance and belief. (Besides, humans are rigid and becoming increasingly so as they age). So to try and define these casting decisions as progressive, falls on deaf ears. Or worse.. might even be incendiary for the ones who already dissented.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 4/1/2025, 3:53 PM
@Vigor - I don't know why most of them insist on commenting on shows they likely never watched or if they did at one point probably stopped doing so at least three seasons ago. Dr Who has always evolved to fit and address issues of the time, the regeneration trick helps with that as does companions mostly only sticking around for a season or two and for a show that was originally created in large part by a female (Verity Lambert) and a dude born in India (Waris Hussein) I am all for the new companion being a British-Indian actress.

The trailers look even better than they did for last season and IMO last season was the best the show has been since Matt Smith left. Capaldi and Whittaker were strong actors in the role of the Doctor but were let down a LOT by the scripts etc, esp Jodie who felt sidelined too oft in her own show by the male more comedic companions with the constant splitting of the team.

I know some took issue with a couple episodes with little of the Doctor in last season but the one almost entirely about a branch timeline Ruby Sunday was brilliant IMO.

Anyway, hope the writing is great and it is well recieved cos the Ncuti is a brilliant Doctor, one of my top three of all time (inc against classic Dr Who actors) and want him to have the greenlight and stick around for a third season (as the norm is only three seasons per actor in the titular role).
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 4/1/2025, 4:05 PM
@Apophis71 - I have grown fondness for Capaldi’s era…

It’s probably the most mature and emotionally complex the show has been in the Modern era especially in terms of its Doctor & companion relationship etc.

I also really like how Capaldi’s Doctor has a genuine arc and transformation throughout his run as he starts of somewhat cold & callous and turns into such a compassionate Doctor that puts kindness at the forefront

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Apophis71
Apophis71 - 4/1/2025, 4:06 PM
@TheVisionary25 - Like all modern Who to varying degrees, and tastes differ, just Capaldi more due to narrative reasons than the actor was a step down from Smith and Tennant for me and always tended to prefer the more high energy incarnations like Tom Baker from classic. Ncuti feels a lot like a mix of my first two Doctors, Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker from the classic era so...
TheVisionary25
TheVisionary25 - 4/1/2025, 4:08 PM
@Apophis71 - ahh that’s fair

Ncuti’s been good no doubt but I’m not sure we he ranks for me yet.

Smith remains my favorite Doctor
Django79
Django79 - 4/1/2025, 2:27 PM
He’s not wrong. Take the black cause for example, woke only means they’re trying remove the extra barriers black people face in ADDITION to the normal human challenged. It doesn’t mean taking away from other groups. Everyone has challenges yes but not everyone has extra shit on top of their already challenging shit.
mountainman
mountainman - 4/1/2025, 2:27 PM
Lowest Dr Who ratings ever. Sure seems like the fans of the franchise hate what’s being done to it. People in entertainment that speak down to those who don’t like their products deserve the failure they receive.
Django79
Django79 - 4/1/2025, 2:28 PM
@mountainman - can you provide specific examples? Trying to learn more about the speaking down you talk about.
Batmangina
Batmangina - 4/1/2025, 3:03 PM
@Django79 - About halfway in they cite the article where the New Gay Black Doctor tells fans not to watch. They listened.

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SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 4/1/2025, 2:39 PM
To be honest we are so far down the "woke" road that the word is meaningless at this point. Woke was originally used by the black community in a phrase "Stay woke" meaning Stay aware of Be cautious. And then the term was taken by the Anti-Diversity mafia to be used as a choice term to describe anything they dislike or disagree with. You drive an electric car? That's woke. You prefer bamboo toilet paper to traditional paper? That's woke. And so on. Anything that makes them fearful of change is woke to them.
DudeGuy
DudeGuy - 4/1/2025, 2:55 PM
@SonOfAGif - yeah, as Bill Maher said, words migrate. We don’t need a history lesson on this site of what it used to mean every time it gets used.
Vigor
Vigor - 4/1/2025, 3:00 PM
@SonOfAGif - yes it's what they do. Take a term and then rejig it
They did it with black lives matter (all lives matter), woke, and somehow turned Diversity Equity Inclusion into a bad thing
Batmangina
Batmangina - 4/1/2025, 3:04 PM
@DudeGuy - It hasn't migrated that far...

?feature=shared

This is not a winning strategy.
Batmangina
Batmangina - 4/1/2025, 3:05 PM
@SonOfAGif - Electric cars are Nazi War machines now - Congress is trading them in for gas guzzling SUVs.
Vigor
Vigor - 4/1/2025, 3:08 PM
@Batmangina - tesla isn't the only electric fueled car...
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 4/1/2025, 3:12 PM
@DudeGuy - Because you guys want to rewrite history for your own benefit.
DudeGuy
DudeGuy - 4/1/2025, 3:15 PM
@SonOfAGif - it must suck living in constant fear and paranoia. Break free from your fear mongering cult already.
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 4/1/2025, 3:24 PM
@DudeGuy - Says the guy that "doesn't need a history lesson" because "words migrate". Is the paranoia of people learning the truth and history of something too much for you to fathom?
Vigor
Vigor - 4/1/2025, 3:28 PM
@DudeGuy -
"it must suck living in constant fear and paranoia. Break free from your fear mongering cult already."

To be conservative is to be fearful of change

To be progressive is to be accepting of change

Stop trying to project your ways of thinking on other people. That old Conservative trick doesn't work anymore
And regarding cult. No other political party in the entire world wears a fukking hat about their supreme leader
DudeGuy
DudeGuy - 4/1/2025, 3:31 PM
@Vigor - yeah, you wear masks and can’t define what a woman is.
Vigor
Vigor - 4/1/2025, 3:33 PM
@DudeGuy - ok so youre not a serious person. Log off loser
DudeGuy
DudeGuy - 4/1/2025, 3:35 PM
@SonOfAGif - I guess so pal. Glad you have it all figured out. Hope you have a good day when Trumps term is done.
DudeGuy
DudeGuy - 4/1/2025, 3:37 PM
@Vigor - “loser”?! Aw shucks. Okay. Bye.
Batmangina
Batmangina - 4/1/2025, 3:41 PM
@Vigor - Three of the Top 5 EVs are Tesla, so they're the only one that matters
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 4/1/2025, 3:45 PM
@DudeGuy - I not once mentioned Trump. But by you doing so showed where you commentary is coming from. Have a good day pumpkin.
DudeGuy
DudeGuy - 4/1/2025, 3:47 PM
@SonOfAGif - yeah. From Bill Maher. A liberal. I don’t just associate with or listen to one group of people unlike you. Have a nice day madam. Or sir, whatever you folk prefer.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 4/1/2025, 3:49 PM
@DudeGuy - Not sure there'll be any more days after Trump's done. He ignited WWIII last month and now there's no stopping it. He's [frick]ed the planet.
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