Peter Capaldi explains why he won't return to Doctor Who
"The real Doctor is not on TV, the real Doctor is out there."
Peter Capaldi has reiterated that he has no intention to return to Doctor Who – and he doesn't think the Twelfth Doctor should be back on our screens any time soon.
Speaking to Forbes about his role in the new Apple TV+ thriller series Criminal Record, the Scottish actor was asked if he was tempted to follow compatriot David Tennant in making a return to the show.
"No. I'm a long-standing Doctor Who fan from being a kid," he explained, before adding that his Criminal Record character Daniel Hegarty is the same age as him and so might also have been a fan.
He went on: "I like the idea that my Doctor is still out there. He's not available to come and be on TV. The real Doctor is not on TV, the real Doctor is out there."
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Capaldi has consistently said that he doesn't plan on returning to the beloved sci-fi show, previously telling RadioTimes.com that he's "done his time".
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"I like the idea that you leave that as it is, instead of constantly digging up more of it," he explained back in October 2022.
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But the actor did have good things to say about the recent 60th anniversary specials, which saw Tennant back in the role before an unprecedented 'bigeneration' introduced fans to yet another Scottish Doctor in Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa.
"It was wonderful, exuberant, and full of life, drama, and monsters," he said. "David was wonderful, and Catherine Tate, of course. It's Doctor Who, you know, it's a gas and a good thing in the world."
This week marked 10 years since Capaldi filmed his first full scene as the Twelfth Doctor, and former showrunner Steven Moffat shared a throwback snap on social media to celebrate the anniversary on Tuesday 9th January.
Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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