Is Ncuti Gatwa leaving Doctor Who? Speculation about series' future explained

Some reports have suggested that Gatwa has already left his role as the Fifteenth Doctor, and that the character will regenerate in the upcoming finale. But what do we currently know for certain on this matter and is the actor set to depart?

Read on for everything you need to know about the speculation regarding Ncuti Gatwa's future on Doctor Who.

Is Ncuti Gatwa leaving Doctor Who?

The latest report to suggest that Ncuti Gatwa is leaving Doctor Who has come from The Sun, with the publication stating that the show is likely to be "rested" after its current season, and that Disney Plus is not expected to renew its deal to co-produce, finance and distribute the series globally.

An insider is said to have told the publication that "it’s unlikely we will see who Ncuti regenerates into" at the end of the season, as the BBC will want to "keep options open" and that "if they do rest the show for years, it makes it virtually impossible to cast someone now".

In response to the report, a BBC spokesperson told RadioTimes.com: "Whilst we never comment on the future of the Doctor, any suggestion that Ncuti Gatwa has been 'axed' is pure fiction."

That certainly seems pretty categorical. It doesn't confirm that Gatwa isn't leaving the show, but does make clear that he definitely has not been "axed".

The BBC's original statement regarding The Sun's article said: "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 Plus 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."

It should be noted this isn't the first time The Sun has reported on Gatwa's future in the role. While the latest report says he has been "axed", another report from February of this year said he had "quit" the show in order to pursue other projects.

The recent report also conflicts with one from The Mirror which ran last week. That report stated that Doctor Who would be continuing on the BBC regardless of whether the Disney deal is continued.

A source told The Mirror that Disney withdrawing money wouldn't have as great an impact as some fans fear, with much of the current extra funding spent on the technical task of improving the picture quality and visual effects.

While this report didn't directly address Gatwa's future on the show, it did say that the wait between new seasons "won't be forever" regardless of the Disney deal, and that there will just "be a gap while the scripts are finalised, the episodes are filmed and the editing process takes place".

If this was the case, and if Gatwa was indeed departing, then a new star would need to be cast sooner rather than later.

The Mirror's report, which states showrunner Russell T Davies has already got seasons 16 and 17 planned out, chimes with Davies's own personal statements on the matter.

In fact, Davies has said he's making plans up to season 18 (also referred to as season 5), although admitted he was "dying to find out" whether the show would return for season 16, saying that he 'hopes' it comes back.

Some reports have speculated that the show might be cancelled because it has recently received lower viewing figures than in the past.

However, this itself might not bear as much weight over the decision as has sometimes been speculated. Speaking in 2024, former showrunner Steven Moffat said regarding Doctor Who: "Everyone talks about ratings as if they matter. I was in a position to know how much money that show generates.

"That's the number you want to look at and that's why Doctor Who still gets made. It's massive, it's a massive show."

But back to Gatwa's future – the star himself has never firmly addressed how long he intends to stay in the role, but he did say back in 2024, when he was filming the current season and promoting the previous one, that he intended to "be around for a while" as the Doctor.

"You’re not getting rid of me yet," he joked.

Of course, he could have changed his mind since then, but at the time certainly it seems as though he planned to stay for another season. In fact, he even spoke about filming a new season this year back in October 2024.

This has not so far come to pass, and Davies has been consistent for some time in saying that "the decision to commission season 3 won’t be made until after season 2 has transmitted". However, it does seemingly show Gatwa's optimism and verve to continue.

If the Doctor does regenerate at the end of The Reality War, that either seemingly marks a change of plan, with scenes having been filmed between October and now, or it means Gatwa was bending the truth a little to avoid spoilers, and he was always planning to only do a two-season stint.

All this is to say, we won't truly know for certain whether Gatwa is leaving the role until either we see the character regenerate on screen, or the BBC or Gatwa himself announces his future.

Notably, no star since the revival in 2005 has left the series without an announcement confirming their departure coming ahead of time.

It appeared at one time like this had happened with David Tennant, when he started regenerating at the end of 2008's The Stolen Earth, but this ended up being a twist in the story, and he didn't depart until 2010 on New Year's Day. That departure was announced well in advance of the episode airing.

What is clear is that reports and rumours regarding Gatwa's apparent departure have so far been conflicting, meaning they should be taken with a grain of salt, and we will have to watch The Reality War to find out for certain whether the Fifteenth Doctor is sticking around.

Doctor Who continues on Saturday (24th May), with new episodes available from 8am on Saturdays on BBC iPlayer in the UK and later the same day on BBC One. The series is available on Disney+ outside of the UK.

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