Rumor: Ncuti Gatwa Exiting 'Doctor Who' After Second Season, Already Filmed Regeneration Scene
A new rumor claims that Doctor Who actor Ncuti Gatwa plans to exit the show after its second season and the show might end up being axed altogether.
This rumor comes from The Sun’s Rod McPhee who reports, “DOCTOR Who is facing the axe, with star Ncuti Gatwa poised to quit and crew claiming to be laid off.”
McPhee went on to note that “bosses have postponed any decision until Ncuti’s second season has aired later this year.”
However, he also detailed that it’s likely Gatwa will exit the show.
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An alleged anonymous insider told him, “Ncuti doesn’t want to be tied to the series beyond this and plans to relocate to Los Angeles with several Hollywood projects standing by for him.”
“His team also see a lot of fan backlash from the series, and don’t want the perception of him still being The Doctor to get in the way of any future work,” the insider added.
Next, the insider blasted the BBC and its management of Doctor Who, “The show has been poorly managed in recent years and there’s a lot of people who’ve been working on this show for years and now being cast aside due to poor leadership.”
“People warned some episodes were getting too caught up on an agenda rather than telling a story and those people got shouted down, ignored,” the insider concluded.
This insider went on to indicate that the entire series will get cut, “Word on set is that the BBC will shelve the series for at least five years. The crew were told not to hold their breath for work on the series for at least ten years.”
The insider added, "As we scramble to find work, those responsible get to ride off on to other well-paid projects without any repercussions. Filming wrapped on Friday afternoon, with no fanfare or celebration.”
A BBC spokeswoman did respond stating, “Doctor Who has not been shelved. As we have previously stated, the decision on season 3 will be made after season 2 airs.
“The deal with Disney+ was for 26 episodes — and exactly half of those still have to transmit,” she added.
This report is not at all surprising given the abysmal ratings the first season had. The premiere episode only posted 2.6 million viewers overnight and only managed 4.01 million after a week.
It did not improve from there. The show’s penultimate episode posted a season low of 2.02 million overnight numbers while the fifth episode had a 7-day low of 3.38 million.
The season finale only drew in 2.25 million in overnight numbers while the 7-day clocked in at 3.69 million.
Furthermore, the Christmas special was one of the least viewed ever in the show’s history with just 4.11 million in overnight and just 5.91 million over 7 days.
Showrunner Russell T. Davies has also admitted multiple times that the show’s ratings are not good. Last summer, Davies made an appearance at a BAFTA event and shared, “It’s not doing that well in the ratings.”
At San Diego Comic-Con, he refused to answer a question about whether the show would continue past Season 2. He was asked, “How much longer will this era last? That’s what everybody wants to know. We’ve got two under our belts now, how many more seasons will we get from you all?”
Davies responded, “We’ve shot season 2, but that’s only halfway through season 2. We’ve got all those months of post to come. That’s a long way off. So no decisions yet and we are happy making it at the moment.”
He added, “We hope it continues forever.”
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If you go back even further, Gatwa indicated he might be done with the show after two seasons. He told Rolling Stone UK in July 2023, “[Theatre] kept me warm and it held me all night, even if I was broke. But I’m planning on getting back to it next year, after I finish season two of Doctor Who.”
Gatwa also told Radio Times via Doctor Who TV he had no plans after the second season, “No idea, no plan. I just know that I’m loving it and my love for it is growing.”
His co-star Millie Gibson also told Fabric Magazine, “I think, now that the strike’s over, probably auditioning again, for parts, and seeing what’s out there.”
“Every year has seen such change for me, it’s hard to think what might come next. I’d like to play a villain,” she added. “If not that I think I’m really intrigued by biopic roles that you really need to research. I think that would be a great challenge. I don’t know, I think I’m just excited to see what’s to come.”
Despite all of this, Davies has indicated that he has plans for a fourth season. He told SFX Magazine via Games Radar, “I’m planning season 3 now, there’s plans for season 4.”
What do you make of this latest rumor that Ncuti Gatwa is leaving Doctor and that the entire show could be axed and might not return for a decade?
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