One of the Doctor Who directors weighed in on Ncuti Gatwa’s casting and its impact on the character. They prefer to see the Doctor’s queerness being explored in the show.

Gatwa is set to return to Doctor Who Season 15, reprising his role as the Fifteenth Doctor, next month. Five weeks before its premiere, one of the filmmakers, who has been involved in the longest British science-fiction series, spoke about Gatwa’s casting. They wondered if the actor felt any pressure for being the first Black lead and whether his queerness should be shown in the character’s sexuality. Gatwa is the first openly queer celebrity to play the lead role.

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Director Waris Hussein, who helmed Doctor Who Season 1 Episode 1, “An Unearthly Child,” and its fourth serial Marco Polo, sat down for an interview with the latest Doctor Who magazine. He admitted that he had some questions about how Gatwa was feeling after scoring the role. “I wonder if the burden of responsibility on him is greater because he’s the first Black actor [to lead the show]?” Hussein said of Gatwa. He was also wondering what showrunner Russell T Davies was thinking about the character Gatwa was playing, as he wasn’t sure about the Fifteenth Doctor’s sexuality. “I’m curious about Russell T [Davies] ‘s thinking,” Hussein said. “Where’s he taking the character? What’s the mystery? If Russell T has made the Doctor queer, is there reference to it? There should be a curiosity among the people the Doctor meets.” Hussein believed that the series should explore more of the Fifteenth Doctor’s sexuality, and if he’s gay, they should make it evident.

In the past weeks, there were rumors that Gatwa would be leaving the series. Some also speculated that the show would be canceled after two seasons on Disney Plus due to low viewership. However, BBC assured fans it wasn’t the case, shutting down the cancelation rumors by saying that the previous reports were “incorrect.” “Doctor Who has not been shelved,” BBC said. The network also explained that their deal with Disney Plus involved 26 episodes, and “exactly half of those still have to transmit.” However, they also clarified that they “never comment on the Doctor and future storylines.”

It’s unclear how many seasons are left for the show after Doctor Who Season 15, but Hussein has a point about exploring the Fifteenth Doctor’s sexuality and making it clear to the audience. Gatwa being queer doesn’t necessarily mean the Doctor must be queer too. And if he is, it’s not a big deal since his sexuality is not a defining trait. In fact, the Doctor has always been a fluid and evolving character, so there’s always room for queerness.

The previous incarnations of the Doctor have been primarily straight or ambiguous, so portraying him as queer or gay could be a meaningful addition to the Doctor’s ever-changing identity. Doctor Who fans have already seen some queerness with Jodie Whittakers’ Thirteenth Doctor, who has romantic feelings for Yaz (Mandip Galli). However, their relationship was unspoken, with the Doctor pulling away rather than pursuing it. Nevertheless, it showed that queerness has been present in the franchise, with the Thirteenth Doctor making it even more explicit that she was capable of same-sex attraction. The production could take it to the next level by addressing this in Gatwa’s Doctor Who season.

Doctor Who Season 15 will premiere on April 12, 2025.

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Source: RadioTimes