The first trailer for Doctor Who season 12 made it official that the Cybermen would be returning in the new run to face Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor for the first time. It seems this was a major priority for showrunner Chris Chibnall going into his second year in charge of the sci-fi series, too, as he revealed to Radio Times that he had a very specific story in mind to tell with the metal monsters.
“I really wanted to see Jodie against the Cybermen,” Chibnall told the outlet, before pointing out that they were the natural next choice of iconic villains for Whittaker’s Time Lord to battle after squaring up against a Dalek in the 2019 winter special.
“There are certain monsters you want to see a Doctor go up against,” he said. “She met a Dalek in Resolution last New Year. Cybermen feel like an important part of the rogues’ gallery and we’ve done something slightly different with them this year – there was a particular story I wanted to tell.”
Lastly, the EP promised that these new Cybermen will be even deadlier than usual. “They’re just relentless, the Cybermen,” he concluded. “They just don’t stop.”
The trailers so far have featured two shots which unveil a lone rusted, damaged Cyberman, who appears to even possess a human arm. This partially-converted fella may be creepy, but you wouldn’t think he’d pose as big a threat as a fully-functioning troop of Cybers. The answer, though, may lay in some set photos.
Recent pics have revealed a troop of completely redesigned Cybermen on location, so these are presumably the “relentless,” “slightly different” versions Chibnall speaks of above. Perhaps this last survivor of the previous kind starts a new conversion process which creates these upgraded Cybermen?
We’ll find out when Doctor Who season 12 begins with “Spyfall,” a Bond-themed two-parter, the first episode of which airs on BBC One/America on New Year’s Day.
