Ncuti Gatwa, the Rwandan-Scottish actor who made history as the first Black actor to take on the iconic role of the Doctor, may be concluding his time in the TARDIS sooner than expected, according to reports.
Gatwa, who first captured audience attention with his breakthrough role as Eric Effiong in Netflix's "Sex Education," joined Doctor Who in 2023 following Jodie Whittaker's departure. However, just as his tenure begins to unfold, rumors suggest the actor is eyeing new horizons in Hollywood.
"Ncuti doesn't want to be tied to the series beyond this and plans to relocate to Los Angeles with several Hollywood projects standing by for him," a source told British media outlet The Sun. The same insider claimed that Gatwa's team is concerned about fan backlash affecting his future career prospects.
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The 32-year-old actor's first series reportedly attracted between 2.25 million and 3.18 million viewers, marking a significant decline from previous incarnations of the beloved sci-fi show. Some sources suggest this drop stems from creative decisions that have divided the fanbase.
According to anonymous insiders quoted by The Sun, there are concerns that recent episodes have become "too caught up on an agenda" rather than focusing on "telling a story." These concerns reportedly went unaddressed despite being raised internally.
Nevertheless, sources claim that Gatwa has already filmed his regeneration scene, which would mark his departure from the series. If true, this could potentially signal major changes for the series that has captivated audiences for over six decades.
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Despite the uncertainty, Gatwa's casting represented a significant milestone for the franchise. Following Jodie Whittaker, who made history as the first permanent female Doctor in 2017, Gatwa continued the show's evolution by bringing new representation to the iconic character.
No official statements from The BBC and Ncuti Gatwa's representatives have been made confirming or denying the rumors.
Meanwhile, the BBC has denied that Doctor Who is on the cusp of being cancelled - but refused to rule out Ncuti Gatwa walking away from the iconic show.
"This story is incorrect, Doctor Who has not been shelved. As we have previously stated, the decision on season 3 will be made after season 2 airs. The deal with Disney+ was for 26 episodes - and exactly half of those still have to transmit. And as for the rest, we never comment on the Doctor and future storylines," the BBC spokesperson told The Mirror.
