Doctor Who has confirmed another season 14 casting and the mysterious villain hints at a Torchwood twist. Ncuti Gatwa will become the famous Time Lord in season 14 of Doctor Who, with Millie Gibson by his side as the first companion. Jodie Whittaker’s era ended with the shock twist of the Doctor regenerating back into the Tenth Doctor’s face. David Tennant and Catherine Tate will both return as the Doctor and Donna Noble for the 60th anniversary specials before the baton is handed over to Gatwa. As new trailers have dropped for the special, excitement for the new era of Doctor Who is building.
Although the focus is currently on the 60th anniversary special, set pictures and promo releases of season 14 have been garnering plenty of interest online. Russell T Davies’ return as showrunner and Doctor Who’s collaboration with Disney+ seems to be taking Doctor Who to a whole new level, and the Doctor Who season 14 casting is only adding to that. Jinkx Monsoon was announced as a powerful villain that Gatwa’s Doctor will come up against and Jonathan Groff will have a major role too. Most recently, Indira Varma joined the Doctor Who cast as the new and mysterious, villain, The Duchess, but it is not Varma’s first role in the Whoniverse.
Indira Varma’s Torchwood & Doctor Who Roles Explained
Indira Varma first worked with RTD when she played Suzie Costello in the Doctor Who spin-off, Torchwood. Suzie was hired by Captain Jack Harkness and became second-in-command where she was praised for her practicality but her lack of emotion on the job was strange to her colleagues. Suzie turned villainous when she became obsessed with the resurrection gauntlet and immortality, even managing to resurrect herself twice after dying. However, Suzie was found guilty of murder and eventually died in the arms of her lover, where her body was too damaged to resurrect a third time.
13 years after Torchwood’s final season aired, Varma returns to the Whoniverse as The Duchess for season 14 of Doctor Who. RTD was also the creator of Torchwood and Varma has said she is “thrilled to be entering this world again” with the Doctor Who showrunner. Speaking of The Duchess, RTD claims audiences will be “hiding behind the settee when the Duchess unleashes her terror” (via Doctor Who TV). The Duchess is a new character in the Doctor Who world so not much is known about her, however, she is expected to be a big problem for the Doctor and Ruby Sunday.
Indira Varma's Doctor Who Casting Hints At A Deeper Duchess & Suzie Link
The Duchess appears to be a completely new character on the surface, but Varma’s previous connection to Doctor Who suggests a deeper link between her two characters. Nothing is known about The Duchess, not even if she is human or alien, so it is an odd coincidence she will be played by someone who had such a big role in the Whoniverse previously. RTD’s return is coming with a lot of nods to his previous era, from David Tennant’s return to composer Murray Gold’s return. It would be unsurprising if RTD was using Varma’s casting as a further link to his previous work on Torchwood.
Plus, with Disney+’s acquisition and the expected expansion of the Whoniverse, which has already started with the transmedia series Doom’s Day, Varma’s casting would be a perfect way to revive Torchwood. It is possible Varma’s work on Torchwood is why RTD knows she is perfect for the role of The Duchess, but there are rarely any coincidences with RTD’s Doctor Who work. Plus, with all the secrets and hints RTD has been putting out about the 60th anniversary and season 14, it is likely Varma’s Torchwood character Suzie and new villain The Duchess have a deeper connection.
Could The Duchess Actually Be Suzie In Doctor Who Season 14?
It is unknown whether The Duchess and Suzie Costello are connected as Varma’s casting revelation came with few details about the new season 14 villain. However, it is an odd coincidence and an extremely clever way to bring Torchwood back to Doctor Who while still using familiar characters from the series. Suzie was able to resurrect herself twice so it would be unsurprising if she managed it a third time, but stayed a secret because of the known villain she had become in Torchwood. Suzie proved she is capable of murder and obsessed with her immortality in Torchwood which combines to make a powerful villain in the Whoniverse.
The Duchess could be Suzie's alias used to hide since a potential third resurrection in Torchwood. The Duchess would have had plenty of time to build up her power and perfect resurrections as well. The link between the two characters could be risky, however, as not all audiences would understand Suzie’s role or the severity of her actions. New audiences may be unaware of Torchwood but changing Suzie into The Duchess could be the perfect way to connect them without needing to know too much Doctor Who history. Connected or not, Varma’s casting fits with the expected expansion of the Whoniverse and has raised anticipation for season 14 of Doctor Who.
Source: Doctor Who TV