‘Doctor Who’: When Will Next Doctor Be Announced After Jodie Whittaker’s Exit?

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We’re officially entering the final Doctor Who episodes with Jodie Whittaker as lead, with the first of three specials airing on January 1, 2022. And while we have until fall 2022 before the Doctor regenerates, we’re, of course, wondering who will be taking over as the alien.

Whittaker has shared her pick on Radio 1’s Going Home with Vick and Jordan (via EW): It’s a Sin‘s Lydia West. But, as Russell T. Davies, returning and taking over as showrunner when Chris Chibnall leaves at the same time as Whittaker, told The Guardian recently, “we have genuinely not cast anyone yet. We’re just starting auditions.” He also shared that “the first [episode] will go out in November 2023 — that’s the 60th anniversary of the show,” meaning there’s quite a bit of time before we see the new Doctor full time.

But when could we possibly get an announcement? Let’s take a look at when we got the previous ones, starting with Christopher Eccleston, who came in as the Ninth Doctor in 2005. In 2005, we learned he was leaving on March 30, his last episode aired June 18, David Tennant was cast as the Tenth Doctor on April 16. Tennant’s exit was announced on October 29, 2008, his last episode aired on January 1, 2010, and Matt Smith was announced as Eleven on January 3, 2009.

In 2013, we learned Smith was leaving on June 1, his last episode aired on December 25, and Peter Capaldi was announced as the Twelfth Doctor on August 4. Then in 2017, Capaldi’s exit was announced on January 30, his last episode aired on December 25, and Whittaker’s casting came on July 16.

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And now we have Whittaker, whose exit was confirmed on July 29, 2021. Given Davies’ aforementioned comments about casting, it’s unlikely we’ll hear anything at the beginning of 2022 (as happened with Smith). With the timing of her last episode, chances are we’re more likely to hear something more in line with Capaldi and Whittaker’s casting announcements, in summer 2022.