The recent trailers for the Doctor Who 60th Anniversary specials have offered audiences a new glimpse at Ncuti Gatwa’s portrayal of the Fifteenth Doctor, and it couldn’t have come at a better moment. Audiences will have to wait until 2024 to see Gatwa permanently adopt the iconic role, however, as Doctor Who is focusing on the 60th Anniversary of the show first. Rather than dive headfirst into the Gatwa era, Doctor Who is releasing three special episodes and bringing back David Tennant and Catherine Tate as The Doctor and Donna Noble respectively.
Ncuti Gatwa will still play the Fifteenth Doctor, but it’s unclear exactly how Tennant fits into the picture. He originally played the Tenth Doctor, so it was a major surprise when Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor seemingly went backward in her regeneration cycle and came out with Tennant’s face again. Everything is currently up in the air, leaving audiences with countless questions and almost no answers – but Gatwa’s appearance in the trailers proves that he’s going to be involved somehow, and his arrival in the franchise comes at the perfect time.
Doctor Who’s 15th Doctor Tease Perfectly Coincides With Sex Education Season 4
Gatwa appeared at the conclusion of the 60th Anniversary trailer that was released on Saturday 23rd September – the exact time that Sex Education season 4 was trending on Netflix. The actor plays Eric Effiong in the long-running teen comedy, and he’s always been hailed as a standout member of the cast. While the two shows don’t necessarily have much overlap in terms of audiences, Sex Education was the project that first brought Gatwa into the spotlight and the fourth season’s success has coincided perfectly with the anticipation surrounding the Doctor Who specials.
Sex Education Season 4 Just Further Proves Ncuti Gatwa Will Be An Amazing Doctor
Gatwa’s character Eric has always been the star of the show – with many viewers even arguing that season 4 should be Sex Education’s last since he’s not going to be around anymore. He brings so much personality and charisma to a character that easily could’ve been boring or uninteresting, transforming him from Otis’ friend into an entirely independent character that audiences truly care about. The way Gatwa has developed Eric’s character alongside Sex Education’s writers has been brilliant to watch unfold, and season 4 might just be his best performance yet.
This bodes excellently for Doctor Who, as Gatwa is going to need a similar level of huge personality and eccentric behavior in order to make the character his own. The success of Sex Education helps demonstrate that the actor is entirely capable of nailing this role, even if it’s very different and probably much more dramatic than his experience on Sex Education. This was the perfect opportunity for Gatwa to show the world (once again) how talented he is, building anticipation for Doctor Who’s next series.
