Ncuti Gatwa has officially been cast as the new Doctor — but that hasn’t stopped those persistent rumors that David Tennant is returning to Doctor Who. Gatwa will be taking over the TARDIS, following Jodie Whittaker’s exit later this year, in 2023, which marks the immortal series’ 60th anniversary. In keeping with tradition, then, fans are expecting some Doctors from the past to reappear for the show’s big birthday.
With work on Gatwa’s era having just begun this month in Doctor Who‘s home of Cardiff, Wales, the latest rumor has it that David Tennant has been spotted in the Welsh capital, fueling speculation that he’s back as the Tenth Doctor. But this talk has now been put to bed by a very reliable source: Tennat’s wife and fellow Who veteran, Georgia Tennant.
In response to a fan claiming they met her husband in Cardiff, Tennant had the perfect response. “Sh*t I hope not Christine,” she joked. “He’s picking the kids up at 3!”
The OP had previously tweeted that they’d “just met the gorgeous David Tennant walking through Adamsdown in Cardiff!! Wouldn’t let me take a picture.” Following Georgia’s reply, it now seems that the tweeter was either kidding, lying for clout or potentially just encountered a Tennant lookalike.
Prior to Gatwa’s casting, there was a lot of chatter about Tennant potentially returning as the Time Lord full-time. This was always unlikely to happen, despite his former boss Russell T. Davies being back on board as showrunner. Still, a role in next November’s 60th anniversary special remains an option. And, if he’s busy, his successor Matt Smith sure sounds keen to don his bowtie again.
Back in the present, though, Jodie Whittaker has one more special to go of her Doctor Who tenure, with her grand finale set to air sometime this fall as part of the BBC’s centenary celebrations.