Jodie Whittaker is officially departing Doctor Who in 2022 - who could be flinging themselves around the TARDIS next? As showrunner and lead actor, respectively, Steven Moffat and Peter Capaldi were tough acts to follow, so when Chris Chibnall took the helm and cast Jodie Whittaker as his Thirteenth Doctor, it's hardly surprising that fans were told to expect an all-new show. Chibnall wasn't lying either - new visuals, new music, new optimism, new actors, and a brand new backstory for The Doctor replacing over 50 years of canon. But with such an ambitious approach, Chibnall's Doctor Who run has proved divisive among fans.
While Jodie Whittaker's Doctor has enjoyed a generally positive reception, Doctor Who's past two seasons under Chibnall lacked the standout stories that helped define past Doctors. There's no "The Girl in the Fireplace," "The Empty Child," or "Heaven Sent" to seriously connect fans with this generation of Doctor Who, and the TARDIS got much too crowded to do justice to the companions within. Chibnall's run has enjoyed its bright spots, with "Rosa" and "Fugitive of the Judoon" ranking among modern Who's best, but for every 40-yard screamer, Chibnall's era is never too far from an own-goal, and the Timeless Child might be his worst yet, depending on how season 13 shakes out.
Alas, the current showrunner won't have long to develop his continuity-breaking concept. Doctor Who season 13 will run for 6 episodes, then a trio of specials will air in 2022, the third serving as Whittaker and Chibnall's swansong. While both are important roles to fill, the hotter topic will be who Jodie Whittaker might regenerate into. Here are a few curious candidates to play Doctor Who's iconic Time Lord.
Chris O'Dowd
Rising to prominence in British comedy series The IT Crowd, Chris O'Dowd endeared himself to audiences as a hapless every-man living in a geeky bubble with his best (only) friend. Since then, O'Dowd has leapt across the Atlantic to find himself among the bright lights of Hollywood, landing major roles in Bridesmaids and Thor: The Dark World, as well as TV projects such as Moone Boy and State of the Union. O'Dowd falls somewhere between a traditional leading man and a relatable, reluctant hero who wishes he understood the rules of soccer. Crucially, the Irish actor has shown the perfect balance of silly and serious that could define the Fourteenth Doctor, capable of jerking tears and tickling ribs within seconds. Chris O'Dowd's Doctor might blend Peter Capaldi's quiet disdain with Peter Davison's affability.
Michaela Coel
2020 was Michaela Coel's year. Writing, directing and starring in I May Destroy You, Coel tapped into a cultural zeitgeist with a story as touching as it was vital, though also challenging, unconventional and, at times, uncomfortable. Certainly, there was no denying Coel's acting prowess, and the Londoner quickly became one of the most sought-after names on screens big and small. As I May Destroy You's Arabella, Coel is simultaneously authoritative and vulnerable; wise and innocent, and she commands an audience's attention with a single look. Coel's character also possesses an other-worldly, detached quality. All of the above are perfect traits for the Fourteenth Doctor, and could make for a refreshing successor to Jodie Whittaker's overtly joyful Doctor.
Coel was recently cast as an undisclosed character in Wakanda Forever which, depending on the size and long-term prospects of that role, could rule her out of Doctor Who contention. The MCU's gain would be the TARDIS' loss.
Fionn Whitehead
It takes a special on-screen talent to anchor an interactive feature-length film about a computer game developer slowly descending into meta madness, but that's exactly what Fionn Whitehead did in 2018's Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. The young actor (who has certain qualities of a young Matt Smith) has continued to impress with slightly offbeat roles in Voyagers and Port Authority. As a more alien, introspective Doctor in the wake of the Timeless Child, Fionn Whitehead would be ideally-suited, and after the revelation of The Doctor's true age, a younger actor in the TARDIS might prove an interesting juxtaposition. For Whitehead's proper Doctor Who audition, however, it's worth revisiting his monologue for Queers in 2017.
Erin Kellyman
There's no doubting Erin Kellyman's talent, but the actress has been bitten twice by Disney thanks to roles in Solo: A Star Wars Story and Falcon & The Winter Soldier. Enfys Nest and Karli Morgenthou were both under-cooked secondary villains who gave Kellyman precious little to work with, but her performances did enough to suggest a great Doctor Who protagonist was bubbling beneath the surface. Kellyman delivers moral monologues with the utmost conviction (a prerequisite for any Doctor), and possesses a natural air of leadership despite an unassuming appearance. In Raised By Wolves, Kellyman showed the quirkiness Doctor Who fans expect from their hero. With these qualities, Erin Kellyman's Fourteenth Doctor could represent a subtle, natural progression from Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth.
Himesh Patel
Himesh Patel has come a long way from playing Tamwar in UK soap opera Eastenders, recently turning up in Yesterday and Tenet. Both movies proved Patel's capability as a focal character, and leading a massive franchise like Doctor Who feels like the next logical progression in his rising career. Himesh Patel possesses the full range of Doctor traits - dynamic and assured (Tenet), humorous and awkward (Eastenders), charismatic and sympathetic (Yesterday). For those familiar with his work, it's easy to imagine Patel swinging from the beams of the TARDIS and reversing the polarity of the neutron flow one minute, then delivering a stirring moral soliloquy the next. Himesh Patel might have his heart set on Hollywood, but the temptation of playing the Fourteenth Doctor may prove too great to turn down.
Dominique Tipper
Dominique Tipper's work in The Expanse already positioned her as a potential front-runner for the Doctor Who gig, but season 5 brought the actress to even greater prominence. Striking out alone to face her terrorist ex-lover and save their son from a similarly dark path, Tipper's Naomi Nagata endured a roller coaster of emotions, culminating in her being forced to survive on a space vessel rigged with explosives and dwindling in oxygen. The Expanse season 5 elevated Dominique Tipper to lead character status, and the actress seized that opportunity, proving herself well-suited for a space adventure of a different kind in Doctor Who. Naomi Nagata is defined by her crusade to do the right thing, even when conflicted by her own past, and with The Doctor now revealed as a former agent of Gallifrey's mysterious Division, the two characters are more alike than they seem at a glance.
Tom Felton
Inevitably, Harry Potter's younger cast members have struggled to escape the franchise's considerable shadow, though most have made a damn good go of it. Tom Felton proved there's more to him than Draco Malfoy in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Flash and Origin, but no role has come close to eclipsing the nasty little student who left a trail of saliva by spitting "Potter!" all over the halls of Hogwarts. A decade removed from the final Harry Potter movie and with typecasting no longer an issue, it's perhaps time to take a serious look at Tom Felton for Doctor Who. With a natural curiosity and showmanship, Felton already possessed a solid foundation for the Fourteenth Doctor, but the actor's post-Potter roles chart his impressive development into a Richard E. Grant-esque classic British actor.
Jo Martin
Maybe Doctor Who's new Doctor isn't so new after all. Disguised as Ruth, Doctor Who season 12 introduced Jo Martin's Doctor, who Chris Chibnall later confirmed as a pre-Hartnell regeneration from The Doctor's forgotten past. This incarnation of The Doctor will surely be pivotal in understanding the Timeless Child, and her fate remains unresolved following season 12's conclusion, so fans can expert more Martin when Doctor Who returns this Fall. After Jodie Whittaker exits in 2022's third and final special, however, Doctor Who season 14 might choose to explore the character's past before continuing into her future, revealing the exploits of Jo Martin's Doctor on the run from The Division, before then returning to the current timeline and casting a Fourteenth Doctor proper.