David Tennant Addresses Doctor Who Future After 60th Anniversary Episodes

Summary

David Tennant addresses the possibility of returning to Doctor Who after the 60th-anniversary specials, stating that it would be “disingenuous” to say he would never be asked back again.
Tennant references Patrick Stewart’s return to the Star Trek universe and suggests that he could have one last outing as The Doctor in the future.
Tennant’s return opens up possibilities for future actors to make similar canonical choices, building on the precedent set by Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann returning to the show after years away.

Actor David Tennant addresses whether he would return to Doctor Who after the 60th anniversary specials. After portraying the Tenth Doctor from 2005 to 2010, Tennant will return to the British sci-fi show as the Fourteenth Doctor for a series of special episodes. The Doctor Who 60th-anniversary specials will premiere on Disney+ on November 25 before Ncuti Gatwa takes over as the Fifteenth Doctor in season 14.

Speaking with SFX Magazine (via GamesRadar+), Tennant discussed his Doctor Who future after the specials. He said that it would be “disingenuous” to say that he would “never be asked back again.” He even referenced Patrick Stewart’s return to the Star Trek universe to suggest a similar goal for himself if a reprisal was possible in the future. Still, Tennant maintained that he has “no plans” at the moment. Check out the full quote from Tennant below:

“I think it would be disingenuous to imagine that I might never be asked again because history would indicate that it was always a possibility. So, I’m not going to say never because I don’t think anyone would believe me. That doesn’t mean I know that I ever will. But I suppose until I can’t run down a corridor it’s always a possibility. But I promise to have no plans.”

“[In reference to Patrick Stewart in Star Trek]. Maybe that should be my goal, to have one last outing as The Doctor at 82. I’ve got 30 years to wait.”

Why Another Doctor Who Return For David Tennant Is Possible

David Tennant as The Doctor Looking Out of the Tardis in Doctor Who Cropped

Tennant’s Doctor Who return is one of the most highly-anticipated aspects of the 60th-anniversary specials. Not only is Tennant returning to the series, but he will make history as the second actor ever to get a second reincarnation, playing the Fourteenth Doctor in place of reprising his Tenth Doctor role. While Tennant is not slated to be a part of Doctor Who season 14, the nature of his return opens up possibilities for the sci-fi show to make similar canonical choices.

Sylvester McCoy was the first Doctor Who actor ever to portray two incarnations. McCoy briefly portrayed the Sixth Doctor before taking over primary as the Seventh Doctor since Colin Baker, the original Sixth Doctor, did not return for the regeneration sequence.

The possibility depends on the Fourteenth Doctor’s regeneration into the Fifteenth Doctor. The BBC hinted that the Fourteenth Doctor would not come out of the Doctor Who anniversary specials alive. The foreshadowing has been teased through a picture of a bell, saying that “it will chime four times.” It’s a reference to the former Doctor Who prophecy of “he will knock four times,” which previously served as a harbinger of the Doctor’s death.

Even so, Tennant’s return is evident that even the most final of Time Lord goodbyes, such as Tennant’s emotional Doctor Who season 4 departure, do not indicate the end of an actor’s run. Fellow Time Lord actors McCoy and Paul McGann also recently returned to the show after years away, opening up the possibility for future actors to do the same. As one of the most beloved Doctor Who actors, another return is well within the realm of possibility for Tennant, even if he has no active plan to do so.

Source: SFX Magazine (via GamesRadar+)