Warning: Spoilers ahead forDoctor Whoseason 15, episode 8, “The Reality War.“Ncuti Gatwa made it immediately clear what he wanted to do during his time onDoctor Who, and now it looks like he’ll never have that wish fulfilled. After just two seasons in the TARDIS,the Fifteenth Doctor regenerated into Billie Piperin the season 15 finale, “The Reality War.” While it’s unclear whether Piper has been cast as the Sixteenth Doctor,Gatwa has been confirmed as being done with the show, at least for the foreseeable future. So, Gatwa’s time leading theDoctor Whoseason 15 castwas his last proper shot at ticking one of his biggest boxes.
Theend of “The Reality War"turned out to be Ncuti Gatwa’s final regular appearance as the Fifteenth Doctor, confirming the rumors that he had shot a regeneration scene. As the first (and possibly only) new version of the Time Lord introduced inDoctor Who’s Disney era, he holds a unique place within the show’s 62-year history.Gatwa’s era is hallmarked by the introduction of several new villains, such asDoctor Who’s Pantheon of Gods. Bad guys fromDoctor Who’s classic eradid return, but they weren’t the ones Gatwa said he dreamed of facing.
Ncuti Gatwa Never Got To Face The Daleks (Or Any Of Doctor Who’s Big 3 Villains)
Fifteen didn’t cross paths with the Master or the Cybermen either
Speaking withEntertainment Weeklyahead ofDoctor Whoseason 14, Gatwa discussed the rumors he’d heard circulating that the plan was for Fifteen to never face the Daleks. He said he’d be “so angry if that’s the case,” and jokingly questioned whether being the Doctor was worthwhile if he never got to do battle with the show’s most iconic villains. Unfortunately, the rumors turned out to be true.The Daleks were name-dropped a few times, but they didn’t appear in any of Ncuti Gatwa’sDoctor Whoepisodes.
“Legend of Ruby Sunday” & “Empire of Death”
Nicholas Briggs
“The Reality War”
To make matters worse,Gatwa didn’t just fail to come up against the Daleks, but alsoDoctor Who’s other two most famous villains: the Cybermen and the Master. Instead, new antagonists like the Goblins in “The Church in Ruby Road” andJinkx Monsoon’s Maestro in “The Devil’s Chord"were written to oppose the Fifteenth Doctor. He also came up against some fairly unique challenges, like being discriminated against for the color of his skin in “Dot and Bubble,” disappearing entirely in “73 Yards,” and even conspiracy theories in “Lucky Day.”
Granted,Doctor Whohas had a long history of overusing the Daleks, and the same is true of thevarious iterations of the Master, and the Cybermen. So, it’s probably for the best that Gatwa’s era rested them for two full seasons, so that they feel fresher if and when they return to the show. Plus, there is the added bonus of most of the new Gatwa-era villains having the possibility of returning, making the Doctor’s catalog of recurring bad guys more varied.
Ncuti Gatwa’s Hope Of Fighting Daleks Isn’t Completely Lost
Fifteen can still return in a multi-Doctor Dalek adventure
Even though Gatwa has now leftDoctor Who, that doesn’t mean he can’t return someday for a special occasion. There have been various instances where formeractors who have played the Doctorhave come back to reprise their role - just ask David Tennant. This is often, but not always, in the context of a multi-Doctor story - again, ask David Tennant!
The door is open for an eventual Ncuti GatwaDoctor Whocomeback, which could pair him off with one or more of his predecessors or successors for a multi-Doctor story against the Daleks.
Gatwa’s comments about his time on the show have been resoundingly positive, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he one day decided to accept an invitation to appear inDoctor Whoagain. So, the door is open for an eventual Ncuti GatwaDoctor Whocomeback, which could pair him off with one or more of his predecessors or successors for a multi-Doctor story against the Daleks.
Of course, this is a long shot at best, as evenDoctor Whoseason 16 has yet to be confirmed, and even if it is, I can’t see Fifteen coming back to the story so soon after his departure. However, it does at least make it possible that Gatwa will one day get to achieve an unrealizedDoctor Whodream.
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Doctor Who: Released on June 20, 2025, this series follows the Doctor and their companion as they journey across time and space, encountering a range of extraordinary friends and adversaries, expanding the universe of the long-running British science fiction series.
