Ncuti Gatwa: So Soon, Too Late

Ncuti Gatwa an uprising star with a few film roles and plentiful of theatre credits already under his belt, has left the role as the Fifteenth Doctor in what can only be described as the most unremarkable period in the show’s history.

The Fifteenth Doctor has appeared in 2 Christmas specials, and two series comprising 8 episodes split into 7 adventures as a season. A grand total of 16 adventures. 16 adventures! It’s a period that has flown past too fast, and a period that will enter the realm of obscurity when (and if Doctor Who continues). It’s unfair to say Gatwa has left no impact on the character or show as a whole; but let’s ask one thing or two. Write down, or name 3 monsters the Fifteenth Doctor has faced. And you can’t include the singing/dancing Roger Rabbit cartoon character. Name 3 planets he has visited, and you can’t include Earth. It’s difficult because the Fifteenth Doctor tenure has truly been a fever dream, it’s been empty from start to finish. The last two years have been flung into the time vortex where it will remain drifting for all eternity with no hope of escaping.

Gatwa deserves all the best of luck for the future. However, there is a  point that still stands. If the rumours are true, and Gatwa has been putting several film deals on hold, to do Doctor Who, the question stands if his heart was really in the part from the beginning. Doctor Who is a commitment. It’s a part that only a handful of actors have on their CVs. It’s a part that actors both uprising and established would die for. It’s a part that deserves attention and detail. Now, we’ll never really know why Gatwa has left after two years. Maybe it’s been the writing and quality of the show that’s forced him to move on. Maybe two years was his ambitions. He’s gone now, and that has to be respected. However, there is another point.

In an interview with Russell T Davies, he stated the casting process for the Fifteenth Doctor only saw small scale actors auditioning. In other words, actors that the general audience would not really know. Davies, rather immaturely, stated [he] and others involved in the casting process, thought they found The Doctor. They were convinced. This actor had it in the bag, it was there’s (although [they] didn’t know this at that point). Then, Gatwa entered and won them over. This now unknown actor was the person who went in before Gatwa. Gatwa was the last person to enter the casting process. Whoever this actor is, may never get their big break in acting, they may never act again. It must have been heartbreaking for that actor to see Davies interview printed in black and white, knowing the part of The Doctor was in their hand, only for it to be snatched out of grasp. Whoever this person is was so close to getting the part of a lifetime. One can only hope they took the heartbreak with dignity. Perhaps in a parallel universe, where Gatwa couldn’t make the audition, they would still be The Doctor for a third series; but we will never know. So, to that actor, whoever and wherever you are, the best of luck for the future.