Doctor Who Theory: Ncuti Gatwa Is NOT The Fourteenth Doctor
Ncuti Gatwa is officially Doctor Who's new Doctor — but is he the Fourteenth Doctor, or a regeneration from elsewhere in the timeline? Confirmation of Jodie Whittaker's Doctor Who departure prompted months of speculation as to which actor would play the iconic Time Lord next, with Hugh Grant among the most notable false rumors. Finally, a low-key announcement in May 2022 unveiled Sex Education's Ncuti Gatwa as the first Doctor of Russell T. Davies' second reign as Doctor Who showrunner.
Figuring out which Doctor incarnation Ncuti Gatwa will play isn't the simple task it used to be. David Tennant's Tenth Doctor sneakily avoided regeneration by channeling his energy into a severed hand which, apparently, counted as a regeneration, while John Hurt was squeezed between Paul McGann and Christopher Eccleston, technically stealing the Ninth Doctor spot. Thus far, Doctor Who has circumvented any numbering issues by insisting Hurt's War Doctor was too morally ambiguous to count as a «proper» Doctor, and chalking up Ten's metacrisis as an anomaly. That means Matt Smith is still Eleven, Peter Capaldi is Twelve, and Jodie Whittaker is Thirteen.
Related: Doctor Who's 14th Doctor Repeats Matt Smith's Best Casting Trick
Logic would therefore suggest that Ncuti Gatwa is Doctor Who's Fourteenth Doctor. In all likelihood, that's exactly right. When Jodie Whittaker regenerates in October 2022, she'll almost certainly transition into Eric Effiong from Sex Education. But is something else going on here...
The BBC's official Ncuti Gatwa announcement is filled with the excitement and buildup you'd expect, but curiously makes no reference to Gatwa as «the Fourteenth Doctor» whatsoever. The original confirmation (which can be read in full here)
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