All regenerations must come to an end. But it’s never easy to say good-bye to the Doctor, even if we’re going to re-meet him* again momentarily. Peter Capaldi — who has played the Doctor since 2013 — has announced the upcoming season of Doctor Who will be his last.
*Or her, if the BBC finally chooses to go that way.
From The Hollywood Reporter:
“One of the greatest privileges of being Doctor Who is to see the world at its best,” he said. “From our brilliant crew and creative team working for the best broadcaster on the planet, to the viewers and fans whose endless creativity, generosity and inclusiveness points to a brighter future ahead. I can’t thank everyone enough. It’s been cosmic.”
Fans will have time to adjust as Capaldi still has a year and change as the Gallifreyan, with the 2017 Christmas Special being his last appearance. Capaldi’s exit will coincide with the departure of longtime (and divisive) showrunner Steven Moffat, meaning Doctor Who will begin 2017 with a completely clean slate. For some longtime fans like myself, I’m sure there is hope the show will break with tradition and cast outside the white male box for the Doctor’s 13th (14 1/2th if we’re being picky) regeneration. The introduction of Missy proved the people of Gallifrey are not confined to a single gender, so there’s no reason the Doctor can’t be a woman. Or a person of color. Or even a woman of color.
We’ll just have to wait and see!