We’ll see a new Time Lord take over this season, with Ncuti Gatwa officially getting his start in Doctor Who.
With Ncuti Gatwa’s portraying the first long-term Black Doctor, the actor confirms that Doctor Who season 14 will tackle race, addressing historical relevance and social issues. That might not come as a shock to longtime fans, as the series has never been afraid, but it will come from a new point of passion.
Speaking with Attitude, Gatwa confirms the series looks to keep the fun alive but plans to tackle what it means to be a Black Doctor.
“Race does make appearances, yes,” said Gatwa. “It is quite different for the Doctor. It’s not the first time. Jo Martin is the first Doctor that is Black [she played the time-traveling Fugitive Doctor in 2020], but it is the first time the Doctor’s been Black for this long. And so, we have to address those elements of the character now because Earth, unfortunately, is still quite a funny little place.”
The actor also credits the man behind the series, Russell T. Davies, for being willing to address this. “And so, yeah, we will be addressing those things. Russell has such a knack of being able to bring in these elements of our humanity through this sci-fi lens in a really interesting way,” says Gatwa.
SEE ALSO: New Doctor Who audio books coming this spring from Penguin Random House
Check out the poster and trailer for the new series below…
The upcoming season of “Doctor Who” follows the Doctor and his companion Ruby Sunday as they travel across time and space, with adventures all the way from the Regency era in England, to war-torn future worlds. Throughout their adventures in the TARDIS – a time-traveling ship shaped like a police box – they encounter incredible friends and dangerous foes, including a terrifying bogeyman, and the Doctor’s most powerful enemy yet.
Doctor Who season 14 premieres on May 11, 2024.
