Doctor Who showrunner confirms the Master is "parked": "Time to start again"
Jinkx Monsoon's Maestro is similar in name only.
It's almost time for Doctor Who fans to hide behind their sofas once more as we're introduced to a myriad of new villains - including Jinkx Monsoon's mischievous Maestro.
With showrunner Russell T Davies previously referring to the character as "the Doctor's most powerful enemy yet", and considering the character's name, fans have been speculating about whether there might be some links to one of the Doctor's most famous foes, the Master.
However, Davies has shut down those rumours, confirming that we won't be seeing the Master, last played by Sacha Dhawan, for some time.
Exclusively chatting to RadioTimes.com at the London premiere for Gatwa's first full season, he said: "No, it’s nothing to do with the Master... it’s completely different, a pantheon of gods that we’ve introduced.
"I did think when I named them Maestro that there was a chance that that might overlap. It causes speculation, which is fun, but the Master is kind of parked for the moment. There’s been a lot of the Master recently, so it’s time to start again and have a fresh start to the show."
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Maestro is far from the only villain we'll be seeing in the new episodes, too, with Davies teasing the "strangest" monster yet.
"Indira Varma’s there, she’s amazing," he pointed out.
"[There are] lots of great villains – episode 4 has got possibly the strangest villain you’ll ever see. You have to come and watch - even in an interview like this, it’s hard to describe. You’ve got to come and watch episode 4 to understand what’s going on.
"And then episode 5 has great big ugly monsters, which are fantastic, so good old Doctor Who territory."
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Viewers will meet Maestro in episode 2, The Devil's Chord, while episode 4 is the mysterious 73 Yards, which is being kept very much under wraps. Episode 5, which is also shrouded in mystery, is titled Dot and Bubble.
Consider us intrigued!
Doctor Who returns to BBC One and iPlayer on Saturday 11th May 2024.
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