10 Actresses Who Could Be The Next Doctor Who

Last month, Peter Capaldi announced that he would be leaving the role of The Doctor in British sci-fi institution Doctor Who after the next season, which is coming this April. As expected, the rumour mill has now gone into overdrive as fans try their best to guess who will nab the coveted part of the Thirteenth Doctor. Now more than ever, though, there's a major call from a large number of viewers to have a female version of the character this time around. It would definitely be a timely move. In general, there's a growing need for more female main characters on film and TV and Doctor Who has a built-in method of rebooting its central character as a woman. In fact, considering that the Doctor's regenerations are apparently random, it's getting a bit ridiculous that he just keeps being reborn as a white male on each occasion, don't you think? So, which actresses would make a terrific Time Lord? From Oscar winners to TV favourites, here are our picks for 10 lovely ladies who could potentially be the next Doctor Who. 10) Tilda Swinton Who? The 56-year-old British actress has starred in a range of films, both blockbusters and indies, over the years. She's probably most well known for playing the evil White Witch in The Chronicles of Narnia, and she's also won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for 2007's Michael Clayton. Why She'd Be Great? Apart from being tremendously talented, Tilda Swinton's known for playing otherworldly roles, due to her distinctive androgynous appearance. In fact, she's already played a role originally intended for a man with Doctor Strange's The Ancient One. Perhaps more so than anyone on this list, we would totally believe Swinton as a time-travelling alien. Likelihood? Interestingly, the actress is currently the odds-on favourite to replace Peter Capaldi - apparently, "inside sources" claim she has the part in the bag. Here's the thing, though: Swinton hasn't appeared in a TV production for many years, so for her to suddenly switch to a full-time, hugely demanding job like that of The Doctor would certainly be an odd career move. Besides, Swinton has previously stated that she doesn't even own a TV, meaning she probably doesn't have much interest in Doctor Who anyways. Odds: 4/10 9) Helena Bonham Carter Who? The 50-year-old Helena Bonham Carter has been lucky enough to find both commercial success and the praise of her peers. As well as being nominated for two Oscars, she's known for her many collaborations with ex-partner Tim Burton and for playing Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter movies. Why She'd Be Great? A name that often pops up on fancasting lists for Doctor Who, Helena Bonham Carter has one of The Doctor's core traits down pat - his innate British eccentricity. HBC has a natural affinity for quirky roles and we just know that she'd excel as the Time Lord. Likelihood? As undoubtedly awesome as she would be, Bonham Carter is just far too in-demand to devote herself to a full-time role like Doctor Who. However, she has played several short-term roles for the BBC in recent years - including miniseries Love, Nina only last year - so she is a more likely candidate than Tilda Swinton. Odds: 5/10 8) Helen Mirren Who? One of the most respected actresses of her generation, the 71-year-old Dame of the British Empire has an impressive four Oscar nominations - and one win for The Queen - to her name. However, she's happy to get stuck into more action-orientated roles, too, like the upcoming Fast and Furious 8. Why She'd Be Great? Do we really need to elaborate beyond the fact that she's friggin' Dame Helen Mirren? Even in her autumn years, Mirren is adept at everything from heavy drama to comedy to action to fantasy. Plus, Doctor Who is clearly something that she's interested in as she's publicly spoken about how she believes that it's "time" for a female Doctor. Likelihood? Unfortunately, despite showing interest, Mirren has seemingly already ruled herself out of the running: apparently, she'd rather be a Bond villain. Again, like Swinton and HBC, Helen Mirren has just got too much on her plate to play the Time Lord. Perhaps for a one-off occasion, ala John Hurt, could work out, but certainly not full-time. Odds: 2/10 7) Emma Thompson Who? 57-year-old English actress and author Emma Thompson is most well known for her great number of (usually supporting) roles in popular movies, like Love Actually, Nanny McPhee and Sense and Sensibility. She's yet another Oscar-winning actor, too, having received both Best Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay amongst multiple nominations over the years. Why She'd Be Great? Thompson doesn't exactly have a long history of fantasy or sci-fi roles, but she is a hugely charming and likeable actress who's made us laugh out loud and well up with tears in her roles in the past. As such, she could definitely bring a lot of wit and humour to The Doctor. Likelihood? She hasn't had much in the way of television work in her career, but Thompson herself has said how she would love to play the part if she was ever offered it: "I would have said yes, I’d have loved to have played Doctor Who." Despite what Thompson says, though, she's probably too busy to permanently play The Doctor, much like many of the others on this list. Odds: 5/10 6) Ruth Wilson Who? Less famous than most of the other candidates here, 35-year-old English actress Ruth Wilson is most recognisable for her portrayal of the psychopathic Alice Morgan in Idris Elba detective drama Luther. She's also appeared in movies like The Lone Ranger, Anna Karenina and Saving Mr Banks. Why She'd Be Great? Wilson's a talented actress who's been around for a few years now but has never really found the major leading role that she deserves. She might be younger and less overtly eccentric than some others on this list, but Wilson can play characters who are smart to the point of being slightly unhinged genius - which is definitely The Doctor. Likelihood? Apart from upcoming movie How to Talk to Girls at Parties - which, oddly enough, is written by Who scribe Neil Gaiman - Wilson doesn't have too much on the horizon, which would leave her free to become the Time Lord. She has history with the BBC, too (Luther), so who knows? This could work out. Odds: 7/10 5) Gillian Anderson Who? The 48-year-old American-British actress needs no introduction to sci-fi TV fans, as she's played FBI agent Dana Scully in The X-Files since 1993. She's also played many, many other acclaimed TV roles in the likes of Hannibal, The Fall and the sure to be fantastic American Gods. Why She'd Be Great? Gillian Anderson's credentials speak for themselves: obviously she'd be fantastic as The Doctor because she's been playing a charismatic alien-busting hero for over two decades. Previously, she got the internet all excited by Tweeting that she'd like to be a female James Bond. The world might not be ready for that yet, but why not have Anderson as a gender-swapped Doctor instead? Likelihood? Unlike some of the other actresses on this list, Gillian Anderson is probably at the perfect level of fame to play the Doctor. She has international recognition, but still mostly works in television (particularly in BBC productions). That being said, Anderson might not be up for joining the show, seeing as she's already the face of another sci-fi TV giant. Odds: 7/10 4) Gwendoline Christie Who? The 38-year-old British actress is most well known for playing warrior woman Brienne of Tarth in Game of Thrones. Though you might not know it's her, Gwendoline Christie is also a Star Wars villain, playing chrome stormtrooper Captain Phasma in The Force Awakens. Why? Like Tilda Swinton, Christie has an almost androgynous appearance that would really fit the otherworldly Doctor. More importantly, Christie has proven that she can play strong women who don't fall into usual female stereotypes. Something that would be hugely important for the first female Doctor. Likelihood? On the one hand, Christie is well-positioned to take on the iconic role here, seeing as she previously starred in BBC children's series Wizards vs. Aliens - made by much of the same crew as Doctor Who. However, Christie (presumably) still has one more season of Game of Thrones to work on, not to mention more Star Wars to do, so her schedule is probably too packed for the job, unfortunately. Odds: 6/10 3) Sophie Okonedo Who? 48-year-old half-Nigerian, half-Jewish English actress Sophie Okonedo is a hugely prolific actress of the stage and both the big and small screens. Though not a household name just yet, she has a lot of respect in the industry - nabbing an Oscar nomination for Hotel Rwanda in 2004. Why? Okonedo is a very underrated actress and could definitely nail every aspect of The Doctor - the cheekiness, the darkness and the kookiness. Not that this is the most important reason why she'd be great, but it's also worth mentioning that having a black female Doctor would go a long way in diversifying the role. Likelihood? A regular face on BBC TV, appearing in just about a new show every year for the last four years, Okonedo is absolutely a possibility for the part of The Doctor. She even previously appeared in the show back in 2010's "The Beast Below" as a kickass space queen. The only question is, whether the producers would head in this direction. Odds: 8/10 2) Olivia Colman Who? She might not be hugely famous over the pond, but the 43-year-old Olivia Colman is a familiar name in Britain. From her beginnings in comedy roles, Colman has grown into one of the UK's most popular dramatic actresses, appearing in such hit shows as Tom Hiddleston spy drama The Night Manager. Why? As our short bio above attests to, Colman's an actress who's gifted at both broad comedy and the darkest drama - a chameleonic ability that is a must for The Doctor, who can change his mood on a dime. At the very least, she deserves a return to the show that better suits her acting chops. Colman previously cameoed in 2010's The Eleventh Hour as an predatory alien in disguise... for about two minutes. Likelihood? Colman is heavily rumoured to get the role - chiefly because she stars in crime drama Broadchurch, which is written by soon-to-be Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall. Will Chibnall cast his previous lead actress as The Doctor? Old showrunner Russell T. Davies did the same with David Tennant after the pair worked together on Casanova, but would Colman even be interested in playing the part? Time will tell. Odds: 8/10 1) Hayley Atwell Who? The 34-year-old British-American actress gained international fame - and cult adoration - through her role as Agent Peggy Carter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe - both on the big and small screens. Why? As any Agent Carter fan knows, Hayley Atwell is a hugely charismatic performer who can totally lead a sci-fi-orientated show with her natural charm, good humour and serious acting chops. Specifically, she could easily pull off a highly-capable, super-intelligent Time Lord. Through her role as Peggy, she's also a poster girl for strong women on TV - a perfect person, then, to play the first female Doctor. Likelihood? First off, Atwell Tweeted back in 2015 that she would like to "be Doctor Who," and since then, she's been many fans' top pick for Doctor No. 13. Assuming that she wasn't simply joking, Atwell is in a good place career-wise to play the part, too. With her last TV show Conviction cancelled, she's probably looking for a new full-time role now. Come on, BBC. The actress wants it and the fans definitely want it. Make it happen. Odds: 8/10