Doctor Who only has two episodes left before season 2 concludes, and another report has just hit the British tabloids (via SFFGazette.com) claiming that Ncuti Gatwa's time as the Doctor is indeed up.
The Sex Education and Barbie actor is said to have dropped out of announcing the UK's jury scores in last weekend's Eurovision Song Contest at the last minute. That was reportedly in response to Israel being included in the annual singing competition.
Now, a supposed insider tells the newspaper, "If the final nail wasn’t already in the coffin, it was well and truly hammered in after that. Bosses were incredibly disappointed. Ncuti, as the Doctor, is one of the corporation’s most high-profile faces. His withdrawal was incredibly embarrassing. It caps what has been a largely depressing tenure in the Tardis for Ncuti."
While The Sun isn't exactly a reliable source, the UK's tabloids have frequently had a head start on Doctor Who news, so we're not entirely dismissing this.
The report adds that Disney+ is unlikely to renew its deal with the BBC to continue funding the long-running sci-fi series, meaning a budget cut is inevitable. In fact, it's said that the BBC is likely to now "rest" the series as it considers how to "revive its fortunes."
"It’s unlikely we will see who Ncuti regenerates into as the Beeb will keep options open," the piece notes. "And if they do rest the show for years, it makes it virtually impossible to cast someone now."
For what it's worth, the BBC has issued a brief statement in response to The Sun's story:
"As we have previously stated, the decision on season 3 will be made after season 2 airs and any other claims are just pure speculation. The deal with Disney+ was for 26 episodes – and we still have an entire spin off, The War Between the Land and the Sea, to air. And as for the rest, we never comment on the Doctor and future storylines."
Earlier this week, it was reported that the next Doctor has already been chosen (and it may be a familiar face from the past). However, it now sounds like Doctor Who season 2 will end in an open-ended manner, presumably to allow a new showrunner to recast the Doctor and start over.
It's worth noting that the trades reported several months ago that Doctor Who had filmed two endings in the event of Gatwa's departure. He's thought to be eager to resume his Hollywood career.
Russell T Davies' Doctor Who revival in the early 2000s was met with widespread acclaim, drawing huge ratings in the process. However, his return hasn't received the same warm response, with many critical of "woke" storylines.
While this has always been a very inclusive series, storylines featuring a same-sex romance for the Doctor, non-binary aliens, and incels have proved a turn-off given how heavy-handed the themes were. Even the sci-fi stories haven't quite clicked, and the show is no longer the draw it once was (Chris Chibnall's disappointing run with Jodie Whittaker as the Doctor also drove away a lot of viewers).
Stay tuned for updates on Doctor Who as we have them.