Ncuti Gatwa has revealed one of his biggest regrets from his time as the Fifteenth Doctor onDoctor Who. WhenDoctor Whoreturned in 2023 following the 60th anniversary specials, it seemed like the start of a new era: Disney’s co-production gave the show a previously unheard-of budget, and Ncuti Gatwa’s casting was undeniably historic, injecting the show with a fresh, frenetic energy.
With former showrunner Russell T. Davies back at the helm, there was nothing the new Doctor seemingly couldn’t accomplish, except, as it turns out, fightDoctor Who’s most iconic villains. During an interview on the UK programThe One Show(viaRadioTimes.com), Gatwa revealed his biggest regret about his two-season stint as the Doctor:
“I never got to fight a Dalek. A Dalek or a Cyberman. I mean, just the crux of Doctor Who. So, might do that! Might go fight a Dalek!”
What Gatwa’s Comments Mean For Doctor Who
Gatwa Has Left The Door Open For A Future Return
Before Gatwa’s first season commenced, the actor toldEntertainment Weeklythat he’d heard word that he wouldn’t fight any Daleks and said:“I’d be so angry if that’s the case! By the time that I’m done with Doctor Who, I better have faced a Dalek. What on earth would be the point of me being Doctor Who without facing a Dalek!”
Gatwa is one of only two Doctors to have never fought either a Dalek or a Cyberman on screen. He shares that unfortunate record with Eighth Doctor Paul McGann, who only played the Doctor on the small screen for the length of a made-for-TV movie. McGann’s Doctor has, however, battled both the Daleks and the Cybermen in variousDoctor Whoaudio dramas.
“Might go fight a Dalek!“comes across as a joke, of course, and Gatwa has explained that the reason he bowed out of the show after two seasons was because of the physical and mental toll it was taking on him. Previously, however,when asked about a potential return toDoctor Who, Gatwa told theBBC,“Never say never.”
Our Take On The Fifteenth Doctor’s Tenure
Plenty Of Nostalgia, But No Daleks Or Cybermen
Gatwa pointing out the lack of Cybermen and Daleks throughout his two-season run is understandable. In a tenure marked, perhaps even overwhelmed by nostalgia, it’s genuinely surprising that these iconicDoctor Whovillains were never included.
While the aim of this new era ofDoctor Whowas presumably to bring the show to a bigger, newer, more global audience, Davies injected the series with a hefty dose of nearly forgotten,ClassicWholore;the Toymaker, the Rani, Omega, and Sutekh were all pulled from the earliest run ofDoctor Who. Some of those stories may have benefited from additional context.
In a tenure marked, perhaps even overwhelmed by nostalgia, it’s genuinely surprising that these iconicDoctor Whovillains were never included.
There’s nothing wrong with being inspired by the show’s rich history, of course, but an appearance by two of the franchise’s most recognizable villains would also have been welcome.
A Cyberman- or Dalek-themed holiday or anniversary special would be a great way to bring Gatwa back for a surprise appearance. First, however, if the show is officially renewed,Doctor Whoneeds to solve the mystery ofFifteen’s mysterious regenerationinto former companion Billie Piper.
