13 For 13: Recommendations For The Next Doctor

Bertie Carvel

I’m not gonna lie, you could easily replace this entry with “any member of the cast of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell,” I still can’t get over how amazingly cast and amazingly acted that series is. Out of all of the actors though, Bertie Carvel is the one who I can see slipping into the role of the Doctor easiest. As Jonathan Strange, he flipped between mad eccentricity and heartbreaking sadness at a moment’s notice. Carvel’s a musical theater veteran but has only had a few main roles on British television. – Katie Gill

Ben Whishaw

My personal favorite for the job after Matt Smith announced his departure, it looks like Whishaw is the running favorite this time around. There’s another good reason for this: Whishaw is a force of nature both on screen and stage. He’s the kind of person capable of stealing the show from Daniel Craig in Skyfall and has even beaten out Leonardo DiCaprio for a role before (it was Perfume: The Story of a Murderer.) Whishaw is a bit more reclusive and steels himself in his craft, meaning he may not actually want to be enthralled to such a fandom as the Who fandom. Though, if he could look past that and take the role, it would mean Doctor Who would have its first openly gay lead, a milestone in itself. – Travis Hymas

Alexander Vlahos

Let’s be clear: I don’t think this is going to happen. Vlahos is an essential part of the Canal+ series Versailles, which has already been greenlit for a third season, and it’s a lot harder to write out historical figures than it is fictional characters. Still, his name’s been bandied about in various articles, Vlahos has mentioned he’d like to play the Doctor in various interviews and on social media, and he also fits the bill of ‘actor who’s amazing in what he’s been in, still nowhere close to being a household name.’ If the stars were to align and Vlahos was offered the role, I’m certain I’d appreciate his Doctor. I just don’t think it will happen. – Katie Gill

Naomie Harris

Another Skyfall/Spectre MVP, Harris has a far more diverse and impressive filmography, including a turn in 2016 smash hit and TYF favorite Moonlight. In fact, Harris hasn’t been on TV series in over a decade, which basically takes her out of the running right there. Yet, I couldn’t get the idea of the kind of performance made possible by the lack of limitations on a show like Doctor Who, and what someone of Naomie Harris’ calibur could do on it. Even if it were just for a single series, fans would surely never forget. – Travis Hymas

Mark Gatiss

Alright, I admit: I’d just want to see him do one episode just to see the blood boil of Whovians that have decried his and Moffat’s writing over the past several series. – Travis Hymas

Dev Patel

An actor of Gujarati Indian descent would be just as bold of a departure as would bringing in a woman or other actor of color (not that those also shouldn’t be options, obviously), and Patel has been wowing audiences since Slumdog Millionaire. However, even before that, he was cutting his teeth on British teen soap Skins, making him another talent starting from the telly. These days, Patel sticks to mostly film, but isn’t too far removed from his time on The Newsroom to consider jumping in the TARDIS, I’m sure. While he doesn’t show it, he’s also even younger than Matthew Lewis, so there’s that milestone too. – Travis Hymas

Dame Judi Dench

Okay, when you make a list this long, you have to give yourself a hail mary move. Chris Chibnall, you want to leave a permanent mark on Doctor Who? Great, listen up: convince Judi Dench to become the first female Doctor, and let fans dare decry her talent. Let her go hog-wild with the job and ham it up. Now, you won’t be able to do nearly as many running scenes, but this is a sci-fi show, I’m sure you can figure it out. Come on, tell me you don’t want to see Judi Dench give a Dalek the put down of an eternity. It’d probably just blow up right in front of her out of shame. Bonus points if you reveal that the Doctor “chose this face” because they’re a fan of As Days Go By. – Travis Hymas

What do you think? Is there someone we missed? Make your predictions in the comments below!

Doctor Who premieres April 15th on BBC America.

Travis Hymas

Travis began a life obsessed with technology with his cousin's classic Game Boy and a copy of Tetris. He was horrible at it, but has yet to forget that experience. These days, Travis looks to explore the intersection of culture and technology that has come to define our world. When not thinking way too hard about this stuff, he can be found putting a few games of Magic The Gathering and being volunteered to be someone's tech support.