Doctor Who Theory: Ncuti Gatwa’s Next Companion Actor Is Secretly Playing A Familiar Character

Even before Doctor Who season 14 has aired, it has already been confirmed that Varada Sethu will replace Millie Gibson as the season 15 companion actor, but Sethu’s entrance to the show could be the result of a fun casting quirk. Millie Gibson made her Doctor Who debut as Ruby Sunday in the 2023 Christmas special episode, “The Church on Ruby Road.” Despite being very present in the Doctor Who season 14 trailer, Gibson has already stepped back from being a part of the main cast in the following season.

Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday represent the first new pairing of Doctor and companion since before Chris Chibnall’s reign, with the former showrunner largely favoring “Team TARDIS” rather than a one-on-one dynamic. Russell T Davies’ restoration of this formula is continuing into Doctor Who season 15, but with an almost immediate change from Gibson to Sethu. However, the coming companion switch may not be all that it seems at first glance. With Davies writing some of the best Doctor Who stories of all time, it’s easy to imagine the upcoming surprises he has in store.

Why Ruby Sunday Might Be A Time Lord In Doctor Who

Millie Gibson could regenerate into Varada Sethu

A few things about Ruby Sunday don’t add up. Not only is her genetic lineage a complete mystery, but the Goblins in “The Church on Ruby Road” seem unusually fascinated by her. In addition, her unexplained connection to the enigmatic Mrs. Flood in the Christmas special will undoubtedly come as a shock when it’s revealed. So, the theory that Ruby could unknowingly be a Time Lord holds water. She doesn’t have the knowledge or immense intellectual talents of other Time Lords, but if she’s spent her full life so far surrounded by humans, that would make sense.

Ruby could also simply be in her first regeneration, meaning she hasn’t undergone the transformative process yet. As such, she may only look 19 years old because that is her genuine age. Ruby would be one of the youngest Time Lords ever shown on-screen, so while it may seem unusual to see a Gallifreyan native at such an early stage, the species has to grow up at some point into how they’re usually presented. If she is a Time Lord, then Varada Sethu could be playing Ruby’s second regeneration in Doctor Who season 15.

Even if she is physiologically human at present, Doctor Who has already established that this form of genetic manipulation is possible. In Doctor Who season 3, episode 8, “Human Nature,” David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor stores his Time Lord energy in a pocket watch and becomes indistinguishable from a human being. So, it’s possible that Ruby repeated this feat, and lost her memories as Tennant’s Doctor did.

Varada Sethu Playing Ruby In Doctor Who Season 15 Would Be Better Than A New Companion

Ruby’s character should last more than one season of Doctor Who

Keeping Ruby Sunday but giving her a new face means Doctor Who season 15 doesn’t need to waste time introducing a brand-new character. Instead, the show would be exploring how Ruby’s personality has changed between regenerations. While this transitionary period has been shown time and time again with the Doctor as the focus, changing things up by having Gatwa’s Doctor guide Sethu’s version of Ruby through the process would be a brilliant spin on the tradition.

Russell T Davies has a habit of replacing companions after a single season of Doctor Who. Although Billie Piper’s Rose Tyler lasted Davies’ first two seasons in charge, Freema Agyeman’s Martha Jones and Catherine Tate’s Donna Noble also exited the TARDIS after a single season. Keeping Ruby around but recasting her would be an interesting way to maintain this Davies writing trend while also bucking it in a peculiar fashion.

Speaking with Radio Times, Gibson teased she loves, “Ruby’s season 2 look,” which implies she will appear alongside Sethu at some point in what many are referring to as Doctor Who season 15. If so, this would allow Davies to write a multi-Ruby story, similar to how a multi-Doctor story features two different versions of the Doctor at the same time. The name of Varada Sethu’s Doctor Who season 15 character has yet to be revealed, which makes it very possible that the BBC are withholding key spoilers regarding her identity.

How A Time Lord Companion Can Work In Doctor Who’s New Era

Ruby doesn’t have the demeanor of a typical Time Lord

One of the main purposes of a Doctor Who companion is to serve as the eyes of the audience. If the Doctor is ever doing something especially clever or confusing, then it’s comforting to see that the companion is equally baffled. For this reason, having a human companion is often the most effective way to achieve this, as they’ll be unaware of a lot of what the Doctor does or says. With a Time Lord companion, it’s trickier to achieve this effect due to how smart they are. However, Ruby isn’t the Doctor’s intellectual equal.

Even if Ruby is a Time Lord, her time spent on Earth, her youth, and her inexperience in intergalactic matters make her seem very human. If an older, more experienced Time Lord were to be the Doctor’s companion, there would likely be more arguments than adventures. With Ruby in the TARDIS, she can ask all the questions that the audience might want to know and make all the same mistakes, which is a huge part of what makes Doctor Who work.

Source: Radio Times